


The More I Live the More I See this Life is Not About Me

by K_R_Closson



Category: Star Wars - All Media Types, Star Wars: The Clone Wars (2008) - All Media Types
Genre: Age Regression/De-Aging, Cody just wanted to have a good day, Gen, If there's trouble Obi-Wan will find it, Obi-Wan is de-aged to his Melida/Daan years, Solving the Clone Wars the only way we know how, and baby-faced Obi-Wan, power of friendship and teamwork, so general warnings for depression neglect child endangerment, the Qui-Gon Jinn special
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-03-27
Updated: 2020-04-15
Packaged: 2021-03-01 00:00:18
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 8
Words: 39,787
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/23342107
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/K_R_Closson/pseuds/K_R_Closson
Summary: After touching a mysterious artifact, Cody's general is suddenly a child with the memories to match. Cody has to coax a suspicious adolescent back to base without alerting the nearby Separatists of their presence.Reversing his general's age an easier fix than Cody thought it would be, but he didn't factor in the possibility that Obi-Wan might not want to give up his self in order to become General Kenobi again. It'd be easier to think if he didn't have an insidious voice in his head, whispering to him to distrust the Jedi.
Comments: 205
Kudos: 1663
Collections: Suggested Good Reads





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

> Title from Anberlin's Burn Out Brighter.

The main force is up in  _ The Negotiator _ , far enough away not to draw the attention of nearby forces, but close enough to back them up if they find themselves in trouble. There’s a small group of the 212th at a temporary base on the planet, and the unit General Kenobi leads is with Cody as they hunt for the artifact which brought them here.

It was General Windu who told them there was something abnormal on Seshura. Naturally, it was Cody’s general who drew the short straw for this mission. The goal is to grab the artifact before the Separtist base on this planet does enough recon to realize there’s something worth having. There are rumors Dooku is already on his way, and Cody wants to be far away before he makes it here.

If everything goes well, they’ll grab the artifact and leave with no one the wiser. If things go  _ very  _ well, this artifact is some kind of weapon they can use to turn the tide of the war. 

Because nothing ever goes well, Cody’s general plucks the orb off its pedestal, and a blindingly white light flares from the sphere. Cody isn’t the only brother cursing as he blinks and waits for his sight to return. Something rolls into his boot, and he bends down and picks up his general’s lightsaber. He clips it to his belt with a practiced ease. 

When his vision clears, he curses even louder, because standing where his general had been is a smaller, younger, human. Cody isn’t good with human ages, he and his brothers grew on a different scale than standard humans, but the boy in front of him is far younger than his general should be.

His reddish-blonde hair falls into his eyes, longer than the buzz Cody would expect from a padawan but not nearly as long as the general wears it now. He’s slight, his shoulders hunched to make himself even smaller, and there’s a sharpness to his features he shouldn’t have. Young humans should be padded with fat, but this boy is thin as if he’s malnourished. Part of it, Cody is sure, is from the oversized tunics he’s now in, but it isn’t simply that.

“Commander?” York, one of their best recon troopers, asks through the bucket comm. “Is that--”

A glance around the temple they’re in shows no sign of Cody’s general which means Cody’s in charge. He clears his throat, and the boy’s gaze snaps up, seeming to catalogue his surroundings for the first time. His eyes are a bright, intelligent blue, and they note Cody’s armor, his weapon, and then the brother next to him and the one next to him. 

The boy notices the orb in his hand and tilts his head as if he isn’t sure how it got there. He holds it out toward Cody. “If this is yours, I meant no offense.”

His voice is soft in a way his body isn’t, higher than General Kenobi’s. He still has the rich curl of his accent, but there’s something guarded about his words as if he isn’t sure he should offer them. It’s different than General Kenobi who could speak for hours and never say anything at all.  _ Why thank you _ , General Kenobi said once when Cody told him so.

He doesn’t want this boy to be his general, but the signs all point to it being the case. The boy is still holding the orb out, and Cody doesn’t want to touch it, but they need to bring it back to the Temple to study. This is not the super weapon they were hoping for. And if General Kenobi is now out of commission, they’ll have a new host of problems to deal with.

Packrat pops the top of his right shoulder pauldron, revealing a hidden storage container. “You can put it in here, kid.”

“Kid” scowls at the name. “You didn’t answer my question.” His eyes are on Packrat, waiting for any kind of sudden movement, but he’s talking to Cody. “Is this yours?”

“It doesn’t belong to any of us here, but we came here looking for it. We’d like to take it with us.”

“Why?”

_ For starters, I think it turned my adult Jedi into a child, and I want to know how to reverse it. Also, if Dooku realized what this could do, he would weaponize it _ . Cody imagines the top leaders in the GAR turned into children and wishes he hadn’t. “We want to study it.”

The boy hesitates for a moment. His gaze flicks to the orb, to the pedestal it rested on and then to the brothers. “Why am I holding it?”

He doesn’t remember. Cody’s small spark of hope fizzles out. “What is the last thing you remember?”

“Fighting.” Fear flickers at the corners of the boy’s eyes as he takes stock of the armor and weapons. Still, he puts on a brave front, standing taller as if he’d take them all on if he needed to. “Are you reinforcements?”

“I’m not sure I follow.” It’s a difficult balance, telling the truth while trying not to spook his maybe-Jedi. 

The boy tucks the orb closer to himself. “Who do you fight for, the Melida or the Daan?”

“The who?” Womp asks.

The boy takes a step backward toward the stairs which lead deeper into the Temple. General Kenobi warned them of venturing too deep, that this temple was inhabited by guardians who never left, choosing to weave their Force signatures through the very stone which made the temple. Womp made a crack about ghosts and they’ve all been on edge ever since.

Cody doesn’t want to chase this boy through a haunted Jedi temple. 

The boy’s foot catches on a dip in the stone floor and he wobbles. As he recovers his balance, he looks around. His suspicion melts into confusion and then back to suspicion. “This isn’t where I was.”

“It isn’t.” Cody takes a knee and, after a moment of deliberation, removes his helmet. The boy stares at his face, maybe it’s the scar, for a long moment. “What you’re holding in your hand is some kind of artifact. When you touched it, it changed you.”

“Changed me how?”

“Your name is Obi-Wan Kenobi.”

The boy’s eyes widen, shock leaking into the air around him. He doesn’t have the discipline or control of General Kenobi. Cody knew, in theory, his general had once been a child, but he assumed he’d always been unflappable, adult or otherwise. “Before you touched the orb, you were in your thirties. And now you’re a youngling.”

The boy stares at the orb in his hands. Disbelief is thick in the air, but given how early Jedi begin their training, Cody isn’t surprised when the boy-- _ Obi-Wan _ \--comes to terms with the fact that it’s a possibility. Cody tries to place himself in Obi-Wan’s boots and then decides thought exercises are better left to someone else. His general is now a boy, and it’s Cody’s responsibility to protect him. It might actually be easier than when he’s an adult. Children, especially Jedi children, are supposed to be obedient, right? 

“I am Obi-Wan Kenobi.” He turns the orb over in his hands. The outsides are so dark they’re almost back, but at the core of it, the orb is dark, heated red, the last ember of a fire. “You haven’t told me who you are.”

“Cody.”

“You’re a soldier?”

“I’m the Commander of the 212th Attack Battalion.”

“You...fight for the Young?”

Just as Obi-Wan’s baffled by an attack battalion, Cody has no idea who these people are; the Melida, the Daan, the young. What kind of trouble did his general land himself in as a child? And why has Cody never heard of it? General Kenobi would wistfully talk about the days when Jedi were diplomats. He never mentioned a war.

“We fight for you,” Marshall says. 

“But we aren’t on Melida/Daan?”

“We’re on Seshura,” Cody answers.

Obi-Wan doesn’t look any more enlightened. “Because it’s been...twenty years since I was this.” Obi-Wan gestures to himself. “Have I been at war this whole time?” 

He looks exhausted, an expression Cody’s all too familiar with. But there’s no beard for Obi-Wan to hide behind, no Jedi stoicism to use as a shield. Cody wants to draw him into a hug or wrap him in blankets and put him into bed. Neither would be appropriate.

“You’re at war?” Marshall asks. 

Obi-Wan glances at Marshall and then at the orb in his hands. He seems to come to some kind of decision, because he sheds his fear and takes charge. “If our mission was to retrieve this object, we should complete our mission.” He looks to Packrat and his open pauldron. “How secure is your storage space? Are you at risk of experiencing the same effect as me?”

“I--” Packrat pauses. “I’m not sure, General.”

Obi-Wan’s eyebrows climb upward. “General?”

Cody gives Packrat a look which promises him a blistering lecture lately as well as punishment duty. “You are our general. Or, your older self is.”

“I assume given the extenuating circumstances, you are now the commanding officer?” Obi-Wan asks. At Cody’s nod, he continues. “I shall carry the artifact until I can find a safe way to transport it. Where are we set up?”

“Our base is two days out from here,” Cody answers. It’s closer to the Sep base than he’d like, but they didn’t have a lot of options. 

“We were a scouting team?” Obi-Wan looks down at his clothes. They hang loose and too big from his frame, but a twist here, a tie there, and he manages something functional even if it looks odd. 

“We’re a small, specialized team,” Cody explains. “There are hostiles and civilians on the planet. We were hoping to get in and out without trouble.”

Obi-Wan ducks his head but not before Coyd sees the flush of shame on his cheeks. “I apologize for compromising the plan.”

Cody could give him a list of the times General Kenobi karked up worse than this, but the bowed head tells him not to. For all the bravery the boy is projecting, there’s a fragility to him, and Cody won’t be the one to break him. “Improvisation is good for us.”

Womp’s laughter filters through his helmet and Cody glares at him, a reminder that Cody has two days to think of an appropriate punishment for pissing him off. Cody’s general is a child, there’s Seppies in spitting distance, and Dooku himself is en route to the planet. Now isn’t the time for jokes. 

“Sorry, sir.”

“York and Marshall, I want you on point. Womp, Packrat, and Gusher, you take the rear. Obi-Wan, you and I are in the middle.”

“I can hold my own.” The boy’s spine straightens, a flicker of anger in his gaze, and Cody’s reminded this boy one day grows into his general. And then the boy’s gaze strays to Cody’s belt. “You could give me a blaster.”

Cody gestures to the orb nestled in the extra folds of Obi-Wan’s tunics. “You’re protecting the objective.”

Obi-Wan nods and doesn’t put up further protest. Cody files it away to puzzle over later. For now, he puts his helmet back on and switches to the private comm. “Keep your senses sharp. Nothing else is happening to our general.”

“Yes, sir,” his brothers respond.

As they head out of the temple, Cody comms Wooley and tells him to hail  _ The Negotiator. _ “We need back-up. I want  _ The Negotiator  _ headed our way. And find out what other Jedi are in the area. Preferably one who knew General Kenobi as a youngling. Full report to follow.”

“Yes, sir,” Wooley says.

#

They walk for hours at a steady pace. Cody has to check on his charge every few steps, afraid he’s disappeared while Cody wasn’t paying attention. His mini-general is silent, more shadow than boy. He doesn't ask questions, doesn’t talk, doesn’t even complain. He keeps pace with them even though he’s younger and smaller and shouldn’t have that kind of endurance. 

Then again, Jedi live abnormal lives. Maybe the padawans are as hardy as the knights and masters. Cody’s main experience with younger Jedi is Commander Tano, and she’s certainly special. Livelier than Obi-Wan appears to be, but maybe his general was reserved as a child. He’s certainly outgrown that trait.

His general is generous to a fault and outgoing, always taking time to check in with his men, to talk to them and remember what they say. Even people he doesn’t like, senators at those pointless parties and Seppies in the middle of battle, he’s talking, smiling, flirting, tossing insults around. He’s always putting himself out there in some way or another.

But Obi-Wan keeps to himself. He’s alert, aware of their surroundings, and he listens to the brothers as they talk quietly amongst themselves, but he doesn’t offer up anything on his own. Cody doesn’t push, because even for a Jedi, this must be an odd situation.

There’s still enough daylight to push further when Cody stops them to set up camp. They could keep going, but he’d rather the safety of a good campsite than shave an hour or two off their trip. He calls a halt and, before his little Jedi can grow offended, he says, “This is the best defensive position we’ve seen so far. I want camp set up and watches determined.”

“Where are you going?” Obi-Wan.

“There’s vegetation which is edible and small animals which should be easy enough to catch. I want to save our rations if I can.” In case something  _ else  _ goes wrong. 

“I’m good with plants. My m--I read a lot.” Confident at the beginning, he stares at the ground by the end.

“I want you and Packrat to find a way to transport the orb. Holding it in your hands means you’re at a disadvantage if we’re attacked.”

“Is a fight likely?” 

“We’ll keep you out of trouble.” Packrat sits down next to Obi-Wan and takes his helmet off. 

Obi-Wan looks at him before he turns to Cody as if remembering what Cody’s face looked like in the temple. He turns to the other brothers, their buckets still on. “Do you all share the same face?”

“We’re clones,” Cody answers. “We’re created from the same template.”

“You were...created.” Obi-Wan stumbles over the word. “For my war?”

“It isn’t your war,” Cody promises. “It’s complicated. We can discuss it over dinner.” He says it both to pacify Obi-Wan and to warn his brothers to keep their mouths shut while he’s gone. 

Obi-Wan frowns as if he heard the warning, but he doesn’t press the issue. He turns to Womp instead and asks, “Will you show me how to set up camp? I want to help.”

This, at least, is something both their general and his younger self have in common. Womp waves Obi-Wan over, and they’re setting up tents as Cody and York leave to do some scouting and foraging. They don’t go far in case they need to hurry back, but they’re far enough to speak freely. 

“This is fucked, even for us,” York says.

Cody laughs even though it isn’t funny. “At least he’s being cooperative.” He knows the boy is confused. He can see him flickering between clinging to Cody as if afraid of being abandoned and suspicion as if he isn’t quite sure he believes the de-aging story. Cody’s not sure he believes it and he was a witness. 

He pats his hip where the general’s lightsaber hangs from its clip. “He hasn’t asked for it.”

“Did you see his hair? No braid.”

No padawan braid, he isn’t fazed at not having a lightsaber. It adds up to a picture which doesn’t make sense. Cody almost wishes General Skywalker was here. He’d give Cody shit for letting his general walk into this mess, but he’d be able to answer Cody’s questions. Now, Cody has to wait until they’re at their base so they can contact a Jedi. 

“What do you think it means?” Cody asks. 

“General Skywalker was old for a padawan, and he was younger than Obi-Wan is now. We would’ve known if he was late coming to the Order.”

And Commander Tano talked about her Temple upbringing enough for them to hear her and Obi-Wan share memories. He was raised in the Temple from a young age. He was a padawan to Master Jinn, the deceased Jedi who General Kenobi rarely mentions. 

“We could ask him,” York says. 

“Not yet. I don’t want to spook him when we’re cut off from help and with hostiles on the planet.” The last thing they need is for Obi-Wan to be captured by Seppies.

#

When they make it back to camp with a decent bounty, Obi-Wan and Gusher are caught in a staring contest. Obi-Wan’s on his feet, hands planted on his hips. Gusher’s eyes are narrowed in frustration which means Obi-Wan’s winning whatever battle of wills they’re having. 

Cody notes that the two tents are set up and the solar oven is between them, its battery packs fully charged. “What’s that about?” he asked Marshall.

“Gusher caught the kid limping and asked him to take off his boots.”

“I’m not a kid,” Obi-Wan snaps. He flushes at his outburst and takes a deep breath, visibly centering himself. It’s more obvious than Cody’s general usually is, but his general has twenty plus years of practice on this version of himself. Cody hands the greens to Marshall and the rodents to Gusher. “Help Marshall with dinner. I’ll take this.”

Gusher accepts the change with gratitude. Obi-Wan switches his attention to Cody and tilts his chin up as if he’s preparing for a long fight. Cody, knowing how deep his general’s stubborn streak goes, sits down on the ground. “What hurts?”

“I’m not hurt.”

Cody arches his brow. “I don’t believe that when you’re older either.” He thinks back to today. Did something happen? He was fine--beyond the obvious--in the temple. There were a few trips and stumbles but nothing which should be painful now. But--oh. Cody feels like an idiot. “Show me your feet.”

“No.”

Cody feels a headache building behind his eyes. “Your boots are too big. You have blisters.”

Even caught out, Obi-Wan doesn’t back down. “I kept up with you.”

_ Even though it hurt _ , Cody hears. Muttered swearing behind him tells him his brothers heard the same thing.

Obi-Wan turns toward the sound of the swearing. “That was Mando’a. You’re Mandalorian?” He doesn’t shift backward or react much at all, but the flicker of fear is back in his eyes. Even so, he doesn’t reach for where his lightsaber would hang. “I never asked who we were fighting.”

“The Separatists,” Cody answers, carefully, wondering what’s set off the warning klaxons in Obi-Wan’s head. Mandalore has a reputation for fighting, but Obi-Wan wouldn’t have crossed paths with them. “They’re anti-Republic. They fight primarily with armies of droids.”

Obi-Wan nods as if any of this makes sense to him. “Droids against Mandalorians.” He flexes his hands as if he’s used to having something in them. 

Gusher cracks the oven open, and the scent of cooking meat wafts their way. Obi-Wan’s stomach grumbles loudly, and spots of pink dot his cheeks.

“Protein isn’t done yet but there’s green stuff,” Gusher says.

Obi-Wan glances at Cody and then, as if realizing he was looking for permission, bounds over to Gusher without it. He takes the two green sticks Gusher hands him and finds a seat near the oven but not next to any of the brothers. He seems torn between defiance and a desperate need to be one of them. It makes Cody’s head hurt so he can’t even imagine how Obi-Wan feels.

“They’re chewy and kind of tasteless,” Gusher says about the green sticks. “But our general, uh, you I guess, says they’re good for us.”

Obi-Wan nibbles on one end. “Vegetable. It probably has necessary vitamins in it.” He nibbles some more. “And water.” He makes quick work of the first green stick. He lifts the second to his lips and then pauses as he realizes no one else is eating. Guilt creeps over his face.

Cody bites back his sigh and holds his hand out to Gusher for two sticks of his own. Marshall accepts his two and then elbows Packrat. Only once Obi-Wan sees they all have two green sticks does he start on his second.

Cody chews on the vegetable and chews and chews. It doesn’t seem to break down at all. It’s just a stringy clump of plant matter in his cheek. He swallows and takes another bite. Obi-Wan  _ likes  _ the taste of this thing? He eyes the boy and wonders how soon they can do a full medical scan.

Obi-Wan is finished with his green sticks before Cody or his brothers have finished even one of theirs. He sits quietly but sneaks glances at the oven as if wondering when the next part of their dinner will be ready. Cody remembers Obi-Wan’s references to a war, notes the boy’s skinniness, and steels himself before he says, “Gusher, there’s no need to be stingy. Another green thing for each of us.”

“Commander,” Gusher begins, but a look from Cody has him swallowing his protests and handing out another green stick to each of them.

Packrat snaps his in half but doesn’t make any move to eat it. “Is it bad I almost want rations?”

“Fresh vegetables are good for you,” Obi-Wan says, lectures really. It’s a tone Cody’s heard hundreds of times before, usually around General Skywalker but around the brothers too. “I guess you’re all full grown already.”

“I have bad news for you if you think these will make you grow.” Packrat points to Obi-Wan with one half of his stick. “You’re short even when you grow up.”

“Yeah?” 

“General Skywalker likes to rest his elbows on your shoulders.”

“Tell me about him?” Obi-Wan asks, equal parts curiosity and challenge, as if he’s still not sure they aren’t making this whole thing up. “Is he my friend?”

Packrat looks to Cody which means Obi-Wan also looks to Cody. “You trained him. You’re his mentor.”

“Me?” Obi-Wan shakes his head. “No.”

“He leads the 501st,” Cody says. “Our battalions often work together. We’ll probably meet up with him after we got off Seshura.” He itches to be back at the main base where he can get a hold of another Jedi. 

The oven pings, and Gusher opens the door. He pulls out the baking tray, and the rodents are cooked, but they’re still undeniably rodent. He doesn’t expect Obi-Wan to complain, but he does expect a grimace or a quip about not having the proper silverware. Instead, the boy eagerly accepts his portion and doesn’t wait for it to cool before tearing off the first bit of meat and sticking it in his mouth. 

He makes quick work of his food, and Cody takes a tentative bite of his own, wondering if it tastes better than it looks. It doesn’t. Gusher eyes his rodent and then Obi-Wan as if wondering which one is lying to him. Cody really isn’t liking this picture.

“How long have you been on Melida/Daan?” Cody asks. Long enough for his hair to grow out, long enough to know what it’s like to be hungry. 

“Apparently, I’m on Seshura.”

Cody fixes him with a flat, unimpressed look. 

“Several months, I think. It’s hard to keep track of time. When do I leave?”

“I don’t know,” Cody admits. It feels like failing a test.

“How long have I known you?”

“Two years.”

“This is a long war. Are we winning?”

Their small group falls silent.

“Oh.” Obi-Wan scuffs his boot in the dirt.

“We’re not losing,” York says. “But it’s difficult to tell if we’re making progress.”

Gusher elbows York and glowers at him. Cody would’ve done the same if he was in reach. Their general was once this kid, but it doesn’t mean Obi-Wan is ready to bear the weight of this war.

“I guess every war is like that,” Obi-Wan says, thoughtful. “That’s how it is on Melida/Daan. We win fights, but even when we win, people get hurt and they die. We’re tearing the planet apart and tearing ourselves apart. Even if we win, there might not be anything left.”

Cody isn’t the only one staring at Obi-Wan in a mixture of shock and horror. They finish eating in silence, and when they’re done, Obi-Wan watches as they easily split into clean-up teams. “Can I help?”

“You can let me take a look at your feet.”

All the fight seems to have gone out of him, because Obi-Wan gives a weary nod and pulls his boots off. His feet are covered in blisters, red and painful.

“It’s not so bad,” Obi-Wan says. “I barely even feel it. And after I--uh, rest, they’ll be better.”

Did he cut himself off from referencing a kind of Force healing? Should Cody continue to ignore the obvious and wait for Obi-Wan to mention it? “What about tomorrow when your boots still don’t fit?”

“I won’t hold us back,” Obi-Wan promises. 

Packrat rummages through his bag and pulls out an extra set of clothes. “We can stuff his boots to make them fit better.”

“Thank you,” Cody says. “We’ll do it in the morning before we leave. York and Womp, you’re on first watch tonight. Packrat, Marshall, and Gusher, you take the first tent. Obi-Wan, you’re with me.”

“Do I get a watch?”

“No.”

“I won’t fall asleep when it’s my turn.” There’s something defiant but also vulnerable about his argument. He’s a tangle of contradictions, snarled enough to hurt Cody’s head. “I’m good at sensing danger. I get feelings sometimes.”

“Only bad ones,” Gusher says. They’re all quite familiar with General Kenobi and his ‘I have a bad feeling about this’.

“You need your sleep,” Cody says.

“I’m good with a blaster. Give me one and I’ll prove it.”

It’s the second time he’s asked for a weapon, and Cody’s tempted to give in this time, because his general is notorious for his avoidance of blasters. But Cody won’t put a weapon in the hand of someone he doesn’t know can use it, and he isn’t about to allow target practice when they’re keeping a low profile. “You can show me once we’re on our ship. You aren’t taking watch tonight.”

Obi-Wan crosses his arms over his chest. “Is that an order?”

Their little group falls into uncomfortable silence again. Cody and his general never challenge each other like this. They’re both aware of where the line is and while they’ll sometimes step right to the edge, they never cross it. But Obi-Wan isn’t his general, and he’s desperately afraid and doing a poor job at hiding it.

Obi-Wan grabs his boots and heads for the first tent. “I’m not sharing with you,” he says before he ducks inside.

It’s a petty show of defiance, and it hurts Cody more than he wants to admit. He rubs his forehead. “Packrat, Marshall, Gusher, one of you bunk with me. The other two, keep an eye on him, and be quiet when you switch shifts. I don’t think he’s a deep sleeper.”

#

Cody spends his watch with most of his attention on his surroundings but the rest worrying over the Obi-Wan problem. Honestly, he isn’t too concerned about the age thing. He’s gotten used to weird Jedi shit. Either this will solve itself on its own or he’ll hand the orb over to the Jedi and they’ll figure out the solution.

What concerns him is his gaps in knowledge of his general’s life. He didn’t know General Kenobi had been mixed up in a war as a child. And he still doesn’t know what to make of the fact that at some point, his general stopped being a Jedi for a while. Is he undercover? Maybe in this war it would be dangerous to be a Jedi and the braid and the lightsaber were too conspicuous. 

It doesn’t help that this Obi-Wan is so tight-lipped. His general would keep up a running commentary of nonsense, giving the illusion of communication without telling anything important. Obi-Wan is quiet. He’ll ask the occasional question, he’ll dig his heels in on the strangest battles, but he hasn’t given them any useful information. 

Beyond the scattered references to Melida/Daan, Cody doesn’t know anything about him. While he’s on watch, he calls into base. 

“It’s about time,” Wooley says. “The Council is riding my ass. Skywalker flipped his shit. He says he suddenly can’t feel General Kenobi through their bond. What happened?”

“He’s alive,” Cody says, because he doesn’t want Wooley to worry. “But weird Jedi shit happened.”

“How weird?” 

“I asked you to find someone who knew him as a kid. My best guess, he’s more than ten, less than fifteen. With the memories to go with it.”

“Skywalker and  _ The Resolute _ are already on their way. General Vos too.”

“Fuck.” Cody says. It’s an explosive combination, especially without his general to mediate. He’s heard troubling things about General Vos, and he’s worked with General Skywalker enough to know he doesn’t usually deescalate situations. 

“As soon as you’re here, the Council wants to talk to you. Do you know what happened?”

“We found the artifact, he touched the artifact, and now he’s a kid.” Kid doesn’t even begin to explain the half of it. Cody rubs his forehead. “He’s prickly. Suspicious and scared of us at one moment, clinging the next. And that’s not even getting started on his pride.”

“Pride?” Wooley’s surprise comes through clear on the comm. 

“I didn’t assign him a watch, and he refused to share a tent with me.”

Wooley sounds like he’s trying to hold back a laugh. “Our general was a sulky teenager? He seemed more like the old soul type.”

There is some of that, but mostly Obi-Wan just seems sad.


	2. Chapter 2

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thank you everyone for your kind comments. I hope you continue to enjoy!
> 
> The story is finished and I'll be posting twice a week until it's all up on AO3.

In the morning, there are dark circles, pressed like bruises, under Obi-Wan’s eyes. Cody pulls Gusher aside as they break down camp. Cody doesn’t even need to ask. “He didn’t sleep well. He never made a sound, but I could tell he was screaming.”

Nightmares. But not just nightmares. Obi-Wan has the training, or experience, to know making any kind of noise is dangerous. Cody curls his hands into fists and wishes for a droid ambush so he could punch something. 

After a moment, he forces his fingers to unclench, and he clasps Gusher on the shoulder. “Thank you. We’ll keep an eye on him.”

“Business as usual then, sir.” Gusher tries to for a smile but it doesn’t quite reach his eyes. 

#

Packrat helped Obi-Wan with his boots before they headed out, but Cody isn’t sure whether it’s helped or not. Obi-Wan keeps his face blank, no hints or clues to his pain level, his thoughts, nothing Cody can use. Every once in a while, Obi-Wan catches him staring and somehow his face smooths out even more.

Cody’s used to reading his general, used to being a confidante, and being shut out like this hurts more than he wants to admit. 

They take their morning break. Obi-Wan thanks Gusher when he hands out more green sticks, but he doesn’t contribute to Womp and Packrat’s quiet debate over the best podracers in the galaxy. Cody blames Skywalker’s influence, because the general doesn’t seem to care much for the sport. It’s a little surprising, because unnecessary recklessness is right up his general’s alley. 

After their break, once they’ve started walking again, Cody tries to start a conversation. “Tell me more about Melida/Daan.”

Obi-Wan’s gaze flicks to the lightsaber on Cody’s belt, proof he’s noticed it, but he doesn’t remark on it. “It’s a planet with two major factions, the Melida and the Daan. They can’t agree on anything, even the planet’s name so the Republic refers to it as Melida/Daan so they don’t show favoritism to either side.” It’s a dry recitation, almost like a report. It’s prim and proper, Jedi-like. And then he adds, “I’m on the side of the Young.”

Ahead of them, Womp’s shoulders stiffen, the only sign Cody’s brothers can hear them. Cody glances at the boy at his side. “The Young?”

“The adults fight and fight and never get anywhere. They just kill each other. The Young are tired of it. They asked me for my help, and I’ve given it.”

“You’re quite young,” Cody points out. 

“I’m one of the oldest of our forces.”

He walks ahead of Cody, conversation over, but it’s okay, because Cody isn’t sure what he would’ve said in response. Child soldiers? What the hell is wrong with the galaxy? And where the fuck were the Jedi during all this? He thought they looked after their own.

#

Cody’s relieved when they make it to base even though they’re far from out of danger yet. He grips Wooley’s arms in greeting and almost pulls him in for a hug. Wooley grips his arms in return and taps their helmets together. “We’ll get through this, Commander. Now show me.”

Cody steps aside and gestures to the small version of their Jedi. “Wooley, this is Obi-Wan Kenobi, defender of the Young.”

Obi-Wan looks over at the introduction, but his focus is clearly on the camp around him. The tents here are sturdier than the ones they packed out with, meant to stay up for days at a time. There’s about fifty troopers here, and Cody would bet Obi-Wan’s counted each of them as he took in the armor and the weapons.

“You said there’s danger here?” Obi-Wan asks. 

“Seppies.” Trapper spits on the ground. “But don’t worry, General, we won’t let them hurt you.”

Again, Obi-Wan’s gaze flicks toward the lightsaber on Cody’s belt. The smile he offers is a mockery of his usual. “Of course. “What’s your name?”

“Trapper, sir.”

Cody has the general sense that something is wrong, he doesn’t get “feelings” like General Kenobi, but he has good instincts and a wealth of fucked up situations to draw from. Obi-Wan glances at the blaster on Trapper’s hip. “Can I have one?”

“You hate blasters,” Crys says, wandering over to see what’s going on. “They’re uncivilized.”

While only Cody’s unit, Trapper, Wooley, and now Crys are near Obi-Wan, the rest of the troopers are clearly watching and listening in. Obi-Wan slowly turns to Crys. “Because war is the height of civility?” It’s an acerbic tone, one he reserves for his least favorite politicians, and Crys flinches back from it, but Obi-Wan isn’t done. “I would appreciate it if you didn’t treat me as if you know me. You don’t. You simply know who I’ll become.”

“You can have a blaster once I’ve evaluated your skills with one,” Cody says. “And that isn’t happening on a planet crawling with clankers.”

“I have to wait until I’m on your ship to be evaluated?” Obi-Wan asks.

“ _ The Negotiator  _ will be in orbit tomorrow.”

“And until then I have no means to defend myself if your...clankers decide to attack.”

“They’re holed up in their factories,” Waxer says. “Probably scrubbing the floors before Dooku shows up for an inspection.”

There’s a flicker of recognition in Obi-Wan’s eyes, almost too quick for Cody to catch it. Cody waits for the inevitable follow up questions, but Obi-Wan simply pulls his hands inside his sleeves. “I see. Is there anything I can do to assist in the running of the base?”

“We’re good.” Boil watches Obi-Wan as if he also senses something is off. At least Cody probably isn’t imagining it then. “Maybe you want to meditate.”

Obi-Wan’s body goes completely still like a small animal trying to make a predator forget it’s there. And then he smiles, the picture of childhood innocence. “Meditate?”

“Yeah, you know.” Boil closes his eyes and hums. If General Kenobi was here, he’d laugh himself silly or maybe make Boil join him for his morning meditations. But General Kenobi isn’t here, and Obi-Wan’s pretending he doesn’t know what Boil’s talking about.

Cody isn’t sure why Obi-Wan’s acting as if he isn’t a Jedi. It’s possible he still doesn’t feel safe with them. At least Generals Skywalker and Vos will be here soon. Until then, Cody will make sure there’s always at least one brother with eyes on Obi-Wan.

#

Cody would prefer he was the one keeping tabs on Obi-Wan, but he’s barely been at camp for twenty minutes when he called to the communications tent to meet with General Skywalker. The Jedi’s blue holo form is already on display when Cody enters. Next to him is Ahsoka and behind them but still in view is Rex, his bucket tucked under his arm. 

“We’ll be there in two days,” General Skywalker says. He tries to peer around Cody. “Where is he?”

“He’s taking a tour of the camp.”

“Is he okay?” Ahsoka steps forward. “Can we see him?”

“He’s overwhelmed at the moment.” Cody breaks the news gently, because if he was separated from his general and something was wrong, he’d be furious at being denied. But Obi-Wan needs space right now more than Skywalker and Tano need to see him. “He’s surrounded by dozens of people he doesn’t know, and we’re all in armor and carrying weapons. It’ll be good for him to see General Vos. He needs a familiar face.”

“It’ll be good for him to see  _ us _ .” General Skywalker scowls, an all too familiar sullen expression darkening his features.

Behind him, Rex gives Cody a  _ you’re smarter than that _ look which Cody completely deserves. He knows about Skywalker’s attachment to General Kenobi, an attachment which his general both worries over and subtly encourages. His general cares fiercely and deeply, unwittingly defying the Order even as he fights loyally for it. 

“Did Master Obi-Wan know Master Vos when he was younger?” Commander Tano asks. 

“So Vos claims.” Skywalker’s scowl grows more pronounced. “He says Obi-Wan dragged him into trouble, but he’s lying. Obi-Wan never breaks the rules.”

Cody could name five separate incidents from last week alone, but General Skywalker clearly feels strongly about this, and Cody doesn’t gain anything from arguing. Still, sometimes Cody worries for Rex, serving under a general with such nonexistent observational skills. From what Cody understands, General Kenobi broke the rules in order to take Skywalker as his padawan. 

“I wonder if he’s younger than me,” Commander Tano says. “That’d be weird.”

“He’s going to be younger than  _ me _ .” General Skywalker’s irritation fades, replaced with a muted horror. “I’m going to be the adult.”

Rex scoffs and is unfazed when Skywalker turns to glare at him. “Cody’s the designated adult.”

“Are you making him go to bed on time?” Skywalker asks. “Eat all his vegetables?”

Cody smiles and allows Skywalker his teasing. He doesn’t mention Obi-Wan’s disturbed sleep or how he hasn’t turned down a single meal or snack, regardless of what it is. The only time his enthusiasm for food fades is when he thinks others aren’t receiving their fair share. “We’ll keep you updated. If you want to take out Dooku’s ship on your way, we’ll accept the delay.”

General Skywalker laughs. “See you soon.”

#

After his call with General Skywalker, he has to check in with the Jedi Council. They, predictably, aren’t pleased to hear confirmation of the news. They also keep him longer than necessary, talking and talking even though words won’t change the situation.

“We want you back on Coruscant as soon as you’re able,” General Windu says.

“Yes, sir.”

“General Vos is expecting a call from you. We won’t keep him waiting. May the Force be with you, Commander Cody.”

“And you as well, sir.”

The call ends and Cody runs a hand over the top of his head. One more call and then maybe  _ he’ll _ try meditating. He knew he and his general made a good team, but he didn’t realize the extent of it until now when he’s trying to run things on his own. Or maybe it’s the weight of command combined with constant worry for Obi-Wan. He can handle one but not both. At least when he has General Kenobi around, he can share command and his worry. General Kenobi can be trusted with his own well being fifty percent of the time. Well...maybe closer to twenty.

“Alright, let’s call General Vos,” he tells Gearshift. 

When the call connects, an image of General Vos appears in front of Cody. He smirks, a touch sleazy, from where he’s sprawled in a chair, one of his legs bent so he can rest his boot on the table in front of him. Cody will definitely be the responsible adult once their Jedi back-up arrives. 

“Commander Cody, I hear I’ve been called in to rescue Obi-Wan’s unlucky ass.”

“There was an unfortunate incident,” Cody confirms.

General Vos snorts. “That’s one way to put it. Tell me, did they pair you with Obi, because you’re both the same or has he been rubbing off on you?” Vos does something with his eyebrows which makes Cody feel vaguely uncomfortable.

“How long can you keep up this connection?”

“A bit. Why?”

Cody should probably oversee the camp and organize scout teams to make sure they aren’t in any danger, but this is his first chance to talk to someone who knew Obi-Wan. “His hair isn’t buzzed, and he doesn’t have a padawan braid. I’ve worn his lightsaber on my belt, and he never once asked for it.”

There’s a question in there, but Cody isn’t sure if he should ask it. It seems too ludicrous to suggest, but the evidence...Cody straightens his posture. “Do Jedi send their padawans undercover?”

General Vos rubs his chin. “Do you know how old he is?”

“I’m not good with humanoid ages. He keeps talking about Melida/Daan.”

General Vos’s foot falls to the floor. “When he was thirteen, Obi-Wan found himself in the middle of a civil war. The adults were slaughtering each other, caught in a cycle of violence they couldn’t escape. The children, the Young, they wanted peace. They recruited Obi-Wan to help them. He chose to stay. His master left him there, and Obi-Wan ceased being a padawan of the Jedi order.”

“But--” Cody’s general is a Jedi.

“There’s a...happyish ending to this story. But if he’s still in the middle of it, he believes he’s been disowned by the Jedi.” General Vos drags a hand down his face and looks a decade older afterward. “How bad is it?”

“He’s malnourished, he’s suffering from nightmares. He’s wary of us and wants a weapon. He’s pretending he isn’t a Jedi, but I suspect he realizes we know he’s one.” As much as Cody wants to be the one Obi-Wan trusts, he knows it most likely won’t happen. “How far out are you?”

“I should arrive at the same time as Anakin. Hopefully a little bit before so I can rub it in his face.”

“He did promise to take out Dooku on the way if he saw him.” Cody pauses. “What do you know of Obi-Wan’s history with him? He seemed to recognize the name.”

“He knows about Dooku?” There’s something about Vos’s posture which puts Cody on high alert. 

“Rumor has it he’s on his way to Seshura for an inspection or to try and find the artifact.”

“And Obi-Wan heard that?”

Cody’s signaling for someone even as he nods. “Tell me.”

“Dooku’s his grandmaster. He hasn’t left the Order or gone darkside yet.”

Cody’s stomach plummets even as Wooley ducks into the tent. “What’s wrong?”

Cody points to General Vos. “Stay on the comm. I want Obi-Wan to see you. Maybe he’ll realize we aren’t going to harm him if he realizes we’re telling the truth about being de-aged.”

“Commander?” Wooley asks but Cody’s already out of the tent.

He opens the general channel on his comm. “Who has eyes on Obi-Wan?” He demands, even as he strides toward the mess tent. It’s been the kid’s favorite place to lurk, and he’s hoping Chowder or Biscuit are plying the kid with food. 

He opens the flap and sees several brothers but no ginger child. His comm is worryingly quiet. While he’s glad it isn’t cluttered with a chorus of ‘no’s or ‘negative’s he hasn’t gotten a single yes.

“He was with Womp,” Packrat pipes up. “The kid had to piss and didn’t want a whole entourage.”

_ Fuck _ , Cody thinks. He shoves his panic and his anger down and clips out orders. “I want a full sweep, teams of three spreading out from camp. Go until you’re out of eyesight of the teams on either side of you or we find something.” 

Wooley sticks his head out of the command tent but Cody points him back in. The sinking feeling in his stomach tells him he miscalculated, that he’s too late, but a small, stubborn part of him believes the galaxy owes him. Just once, something has to go right, doesn’t it?

There’s a click as someone switches to the private channel. “Commander Cody, it’s York. I’ve found Womp.”

Cody makes it to the small copse of trees after Sawbones which means Womp is regaining consciousness when Cody arrives. The trooper is sporting a puffy eye. There’s a cloth around his neck, damp in the middle, which suggests it was recently used as a gag. His bucket’s on the ground, the comm useless to him and out of reach because his hands are tied together behind his back. He’s missing one of his blasters.

Womp groans and tries to touch his head which is when he realizes the predicament he’s in. He jerks, and curses as it puts pressure on his shoulders. He looks around, the color draining from his face as he sees Cody and, presumably, as he doesn’t see Obi-Wan. 

“He said he had to pee.” Guilt and fear war in Womp’s eyes as he takes in his surroundings. He even suffers Sawbones’s med-check with less grumbling than usual. “And then he--” Womp tries to use his hands again and growls in frustration. 

York crouches down to undo his bindings.

Free to gesture now, Womp makes a shoving motion. “I thought he was pretending he wasn’t a Jedi?”

“He Force pushed you into a tree?” Sawbones asks. 

“Last thing I remember. It’s the earlier stuff that worries me.” His gaze dips to the lightsaber on Cody’s hip. “He said we were Mandalorian so we’re Jedi killers, and he wasn’t going to stick around and see what we had planned for him. I tried to tell him it wasn’t true. And then it was lights out. I know I fucked up. Let me help find him before you sit me.”

“You’re going to help find him,” Cody promises. He opens the comm line. “Everyone fall back to base. I want teams of five. Wooley’s in charge of balancing them. Obi-Wan’s on the run and we need to retrieve him. He is scared and he’ll fight back, but we must reach him before he reaches the Sep base.”

“He’s running  _ to  _ the clankers?” Crys asks.

“He’s thirteen, he thinks we kidnapped him, and he thinks his grandmaster will help him. He isn’t running to the clankers, he’s running to  _ Dooku _ .”

“Fuck,” Wooley says.

#

Cody ducks into the command tent, switching places with Wooley. He’d rather divide the men into teams than meet with General Vos, but his pride won’t let him duck this responsibility. 

“Wooley filled me in,” General Vos says. “You cannot let Obi-Wan reach the base. The droids might not recognize him the way he is, but Dooku will, and thirteen year old Obi-Wan doesn’t stand a chance against him.”

“We’ll retrieve him, sir.” Failure isn’t an option.

“I’ll tell Skywalker and the Council and see if I can’t squeeze some more speed out of this hunk of a spaceship. I want your focus on Obi-Wan.”

Cody doesn’t say thank you, but it’s a close thing. He ends the call and steps out of the command tent. Wooley is there waiting for him, his rifle strapped to his back and two blasters in their holsters on his hips. He’s ready to march at the first hint of an order.

“Report,” Cody says.

“He has a head start on us, he can draw on the Force, but he’s young, he’s malnourished, and his boots don’t fit.”

“I have eyes on him,” York adds. “We’re going to have to make some noise if we want to catch him.”

Cody nods. “ _ The Negotiator _ is almost here. If we alert the Seps to our presence, we’ll have back-up. The priority is retrieving Obi-Wan. He isn’t our general, but he’s the boy our general once was. We can’t underestimate him. You may have to incapacitate him to bring him in. Do not hesitate.”

The men in front of him nod.

“The teams are ready to go,” Wooley says. “We’ll leave a small core here at the base to coordinate with  _ The Negotiator _ . You should be one of them.”

Cody glowers, and he’s sure Wooley can feel it even through the visor.

“I said  _ should _ . I didn’t say I thought you would. You’re with York, Gearshift, Gusher, and Marshall. I’m staying here. Keep your comm on and report anything you see.”

Cody clasps Wooley’s shoulder before he goes to grab his gear and meet up with his team. They’re a quiet group as they head out. There’s a ticking clock in Cody’s head, counting down how long it would take for a humanoid child to make it to the Separatist base. He factors in the Force and Obi-Wan’s stubbornness, and the clock ticks faster. 

They make good time, eating up empty space, but it’s just that--empty. Each time they pause for a drink or to eat something, York pulls out his long range goggles. And each time, he gives Cody a minute shake of his head. They’re not getting as close as they need to be.

They have another four hours of daylight, probably an hour of decent visibility, and then they’ll have to switch to night vision. Cody will march his team through the night if it means catching up to Obi-Wan. The boy has to sleep at some point, right? 

York lifts a hand and they obediently stop even though Cody doesn’t want to. They don’t need to eat or drink or rest, they need to push, they need to hurry. They--

His body draws tight at a familiar click. Droids, especially ones which aren’t freshly greased, ones used to deployment make a very distinctive sound when their joints move. Cody reaches for his blaster. There’s another click, longer this time, drawn out as if the droid thought moving slower would be quieter. 

All five of them have blasters in their hands now, ready to fire at the first sign of the enemy. One drawn out moment, another, and then droids pop up from the ground. From there is blaster fire and shouting, Cody calling the situation back to base as they fight. 

York curses like a smuggler and Cody looks up to see rows of droids crest the top of the hill that’s about a klick out. They’ve left the ambush team a smoking heap of junk parts but out there? That’s a full force. 

Cody has a moment to make the call. “Fall back to the base,” he says even though it tears him up to say it. “First teams back, set up the perimeter defense, we’re coming back hot.” He turns off the group comm and looks over at York. “Any way for us to go around them?”

York checks his goggles. “It’s a long line of droids with no end in sight. They want to slow us down.”

And they’re going to get what they want. Cody snaps a fresh charge pack into his blaster. 

#

The droids chase them back to their base, but even though it was temporary, and they don’t have large numbers, the men defend it well. They have shields, they have some decent weapons, and they hold their own. But time is not on their side. They might be holding their ground, their casualty list may be at zero, but with each hour Cody’s stuck here, Obi-Wan gets closer to Dooku.

They take shifts, grabbing what sleep they can before grabbing something to eat and relieving a brother of his post. Seshura’s night, almost pitch black is lit up with blaster fire. Night cycles back into day and with the morning comes reinforcements. 

A fresh wave of men is welcome but, even more welcome, are the fighters which fly through and wreak havoc on the droid’s front line. Finally, Cody and his men make forward progress again. They push the droids back, gaining important ground and then--

Cannon fire.

Because of course the droids are ready with anti-aircraft weaponry. It isn’t Cody’s first military skirmish, and it isn’t even the first he’s run without his general, but it’s more fucking time they’re losing. His internal clock tells him Obi-Wan’s made it to the base by now. He prays to every god, big and small, that they’ll make it to the base before Dooku.


	3. Chapter 3

The droids are fucking endless. The 212th takes out a wave, a new wave steps into place. They’re a wall of walking, shooting metal between Cody and his general and it makes him want to do something reckless.

As if on cue, three bodies drop from above, lightsabers ignited, and they cut through swaths of droids as they land. They clear an opening and General Vos beckons to Cody. 

“Wooley, you’re in command,” Cody says as he follows the three Jedi. “I’m on retrieval.”

“Keep us updated, sir.”

“I will.”

Cody has no idea how the four of them are supposed to break through the Sep’s line. And then heavy fire comes down from above, scattering droids as it cuts a zigzag pattern through their formation. General Vos does  _ something _ , Cody feels a weird chill run down his spine as if someone’s draped a wet blanket over him, and then they’re running. He follows their lead, not using his weapons, keeping out of the way of flailing or fleeing droids. 

Before he knows it, they’re on the other side of the droid wall. Another few klicks and the wet blanket slides off his skin. 

Commander Tano shudders and does a little shimmy. “That was weird.”

“That was fucking camouflauge,” General Vos says. “ _ Group  _ camouflage. You’re welcome.”

“Don’t swear in front of my padawan,” General Skywalker snaps. He’s bristling with anger, and Cody wonders if maybe they should take out a few droids before they abandon the fight. 

General Vos smirks and then recites an impressive litany of Huttese swears. 

#

They’ve been traveling for two hours, making good time now that all the droids are occupied with the fight at the base camp. General Skywalker’s practically vibrating with fury at this point. General Vos has, thankfully, stopped poking him, but he does glance at Skywalker every once in a while with something close to concern.

Commander Tano sticks by Cody’s side. He keeps his mind calm and focuses on positive outcomes in case she’ll be able to pick up on any of it.

“I can’t believe you let him escape,” General Skywalker says.

General Vos sighs but doesn’t make any move to interfere. If Cody’s honest, he’s surprised Skywalker restrained himself for this long. 

“He wasn’t a prisoner,” Cody says evenly.

“I would’ve kept him safe.”

General Vos scoffs. “You have the most chaotic Force signature of anyone I have ever met. You would’ve scared him shitless.”

“I wouldn’t scare him.” Skywalker bristles as if this is the worst kind of insult. Sometimes, Cody wonders if this Jedi serenity his general’s always talking about is some kind of prank. Because Skywalker is one spark away from being an emotional explosion, Commander Tano is young and bubbly, and his general...his general isn’t what Cody would call a typical Jedi. 

“Shitless,” Vos repeats. “As in less shit. Because he recently lost it. Because of you.”

“Gross,” Commander Tano says.

“I wouldn’t.” Skywalker’s gone from angry to sullen, but he’s only a push or two from Vos away from snapping again.

Cody will be honest, he’s never completely understood the relationship between his general and his former padawan. They’re teacher and student but also older brother and younger brother, lines smudged and redrawn constantly. But he knows better than to push Skywalker over this, and Vos should know better as well.

“How well do you know him at this age?” Cody asks because if they’re going to be talking, he wants useful information and he wants to keep Skywalker from trying to strangle Vos.

Vos makes a so-so motion with his hand. “The real fun didn’t come until later.” He waggles his eyebrows and gets a growl from Skywalker but no kind of serious distraction. “We’re pair-bonded.”

“What?” Skywalker turns his full attention on Vos which means Tano has to give him a nudge to remind him to keep walking. 

Vos shrugs as if it isn’t a big deal, but Cody knows it is. Skywalker isn’t big on sharing, and as much as he hates the Chosen One banthashit, he enjoys being special. He won’t handle this revelation well at all. 

“It happened early,” Vos says. “He’s made it to the base.”

“Can you talk to him?” Tano asks. “Tell him to leave?”

Vos grimaces. “It’s wonky. I’m still myself, but he’s thirteen. We have a bond but it’s...it needs to restabilize which means we need to get close.” He rolls his eyes at whatever Skywalker’s mental response was. “He’s  _ thirteen _ . That’s not the kind of closeness I’m talking about. Fuck, you kids are fucked up these days.”

“Can’t you try to be a good influence?” Skywalker asks, gesturing to Tano.

“She’s being raised in war amongst military men,” Vos says. “I’m sure this isn’t the first time she’s heard someone swear.”

They both turn to Tano as if looking for her input, but she wisely stays out of it. 

“Will he recognize you?” Cody asks.

“I hope so. He’s not too keen on Jedi right now, but I’m betting after a face-to-face with Dooku, he’ll be more than happy to leave with us.”

“Dooku isn’t getting him,” Skywalker vows.

_ “The Resolute  _ is battling with Dooku’s flagship,” Vos says. “Dooku’s on planet, he’s most likely at the base. Hopefully, he’s realized taunting a thirteen year old is useless and is simply going to hold Obi-Wan hostage until we show up and he has an audience.”

That...isn’t as reassuring as Cody would like it to be.

They stop talking and hurry on.

#

They observe the base from behind an outcropping of rocks. Vos turns away from the building and sits with his back against the largest of the rocks. He closes his eyes and slips into a meditation.

General Skywalker scowls but before he can do much more than twitch, General Vos grabs his tunics and yanks. Skywalker falls on his ass and then stays as if it had been his idea to sit all along. 

“Snatch and grab?” General Skywalker nods as if confirming a mental conversation. “I”ll let know Rex we’ll be coming out hot.”

Fortunately, they switch to verbal communication so Cody can be included on the plan, even if plan is a bit generous for what appears to be “walk in, grab Obi-Wan, and hope Dooku doesn’t notice and/or react in time”. Cody will never badmouth one of General Kenobi’s strategies again. Even if they always sound impossible, they have more sense than this.

“Time to go?” General Skywaker begins to rise, but General Vos tugs him back down again.

“He won’t recognize you,” General Vos says. “It means he won’t trust you. You can’t take it personally.”

“And he’ll trust you?” General Skywalker’s sneer almost hides the hurt in his voice.

Vos rolls his eyes. “Doubtful. I’ll engage Dooku. You three get Obi-Wan out of there.”

“You think it’ll take three of us?” Commander Tano looks from her master to Cody. “Isn’t he a new padawan?”

“You’ve never seen him backed into a corner.” General Vos’s expression softens as he places a hand on Tano’s shoulder. “Whatever he says to you, whatever he does, he isn’t our Obi-Wan.”

Oh, Cody has a very, very bad feeling about this.

#

Getting into the facility is easier than Cody expected. Most of the droids were sent to distract his brothers and delay their arrival which means it’s a skeleton crew manning the base. Of course, Dooku is a bigger problem than even a thousand droids, so Cody isn’t comforted. 

They enter through a waste disposal tunnel, trying to be quiet as they step over charred and discarded droid parts. They sneak through hallways until they’re roughly at the entrance to the base. There, they find a set of blast doors which open into a large room.

Standing in the middle of the room is Dooku, Obi-Wan at his side. Obi-Wan’s even smaller than usual, standing at the general’s side. Maybe it’s because he knows how Obi-Wan should look like next to him, fierce and aggressive. Instead, there’s a slight boy, his shoulders hunched as if he knows he’s made a mistake and he’s only waiting to realize what the consequences will be.

Dooku’s smile sends a chill down Cody’s spine. “You were right, Jango’s clones came after you.” He pats Obi-Wan’s shoulder, and Obi-Wan curls even more in on himself as if he can make himself disappear.

“Hey Obi,” General Vos greets with forced casualness. “You remember me?”

Cody eyes the distance between Dooku and Obi-Wan, between their two groups, and to the blaster doors and the main doors. How quickly can Vos spring into action? And will Cody, Tano, and Skywalker be fast enough to get Obi-Wan out? It depends on how cooperative Obi-Wan is.

Obi-Wan studies the Kiffar for a moment before his brow furrows. “You--no.”

“Who do I look like?”

Dooku seems amused by the exchange and doesn’t make any move to stop it.

“You can’t be,” Obi-Wan says.

“Why not? Do you remember Commander Cody telling you twenty years have passed?” Vos grins even as Obi-Wan shakes his head, still resistant to the ideal “Dooku’s certainly old. Or did he have all those wrinkles when we were padawans?”

“Enough,” Dooku commands.

Cody and the Jedi are still just inside the double doors. They aren’t close enough to grab Obi-Wan, or even close enough to engage with Dooku. 

“Quin?” Obi-Wan asks, and his voice trembles.

“You brought me Skywalker.” Dooku curls his hand around the back of Obi-Wan’s neck. He squeezes and Cody’s fingers itch toward his blaster. “It’s a shame you won’t understand the favor you’ve done for my side.”

“But Quin’s a Jedi.” Obi-Wan looks from Vos to Dooku, confusion written all over his face. “You should be on his side. Why aren’t you on his side? Quin, why are you working with the Mandalorians? I don’t understand.”

“You always were slow.” Dooku’s words sink their teeth into Obi-Wan, and the boy ducks his head. “No wonder Qui-Gon kept trying to get rid of you.”

“Hey!” General Skywalker snaps. “Don’t listen to him, Obi-Wan. Qui-Gon made you into the perfect Jedi.”

Obi-Wan looks to General Vos for confirmation, the desperation on his face almost too painful to Cody to see. It’s Dooku who speaks next, though, his voice slippery, twisting around the boy. “Do you know how you repaid him, Obi-Wan? You stood and watched as he was killed. You were too useless to save him.”

Obi-Wan shakes his head. “No.”

Dooku’s smile is chilling and cruel. “You failed him, Obi-Wan. And now you’ve brought his legacy to me so I can put an end to our line.” Dooku pats Obi-Wan’s cheek in a mockery of affection. “Don’t worry. This will be the last time you fail him.”

Cody’s blaster is in his hand before he consciously draws it. He fires, but Dooku easily knocks the bolt aside.

“I--” Obi-Wan’s voice trembles and his shoulders shake. And then a change comes over him. He stands taller, and his eyes flash with a familiar determination. “You’re right. This is my final failure. And my final success.”

He turns toward their group, throws his hands out, and  _ pushes _ . Cody sees the motion, but he doesn’t have time to react before he’s flung backward. He lands on his ass and his armor scrapes against the floor until he comes to a stop. He leaps to his feet in time for the blast doors to shut with a final sounding thud.

“Shit,” General Vos says. General Skywalker punches the wall and when it doesn’t have any effect, he ignites his lightsaber, but it doesn’t do any good either.

“He doesn’t have a weapon,” Cody says. His general’s lightsaber hangs heavy on his hip. “What’s he going to do?”

“He’s thirteen?” Vos glares at the locked doors. “He’s going with his tried-and-true method. If Qui-Gon Jinn wasn’t dead I’d fucking kill him myself. Skywalker, take Tano and clear the area. Obi-Wan’s rigged the base.”

“What?” General Skywalker asks.

“What?” Commander Tano echoes.

“I’m sure he planned to kill us but fortunately he realized we’re on his side.” 

Vos’s answer isn’t as comforting as any of them would have liked. Dooku did say Obi-Wan thought they’d come after him. He planted bombs in order to take them out. He really was afraid of them. He’s glad seeing Vos helped him realize the truth, but he isn’t leaving this base without Obi-Wan. 

“He’s going to sacrifice himself?” Tano asks.

“LIke I said, it’s his signature move.” General Vos’s emotions are a dark cloud around him. “You two, get out of here.”

General Skywalker, of course, doesn’t budge. “You can’t let him do this.”

If Vos rolled his eyes any harder, they’d roll right out of his head. “Why do you think Commander Cody and I are staying behind?”

“Why you two?” Skywalker’s hurt, both his feelings and his pride which means there’s a seventy-five percent chance he’s staying too.

“I can talk to Obi-Wan and Commander Cody has the base layout memorized. I promise, I am as invested as getting Obi-Wan out of here alive as you are. Now,  _ go _ .” There isn’t a Force push behind the words, but Vos does growl, and Tano grabs her master’s hand and tugs.

Once they’re out of sight, Vos leans against the sealed blast doors. “Thoughts?” he asks.

“Do you know what’s happening in there?”

General Vos closes his eyes. A moment later, his lips quirk up in a grin. “He’s monologuing, and Obi-Wan isn’t impressed. Hey, Obi’s acknowledged the bond, that’s good. But it’s only a matter of time before Dooku realizes he’s locked inside a base rigged to explode.”

And as soon as he realizes it, he’ll stop taunting Obi-Wan and strike out at him. Cody closes his own eyes. He knows the layout of the base, but he paid attention to blind spots and choke points, to important targets. He needs to shift priorities now. Obi-Wan’s life depends on Cody finding him an escape. Where’s he supposed to find one in a reinforced room?

“We could try to hack the doors,” Vos says, interrupting Cody’s thoughts. “Of course, we’d need to call Skywalker back, but I’d put up with his crowing and let Dooku live another day if it meant Obi-Wan did too.”

“Would the Council agree?”

“They aren’t here.” Vos’s smile would worry Cody under any other circumstance, but Obi-Wan’s life is on the line, and Cody is willing to do anything to save him. 

Cody runs his finger over the sealed doors. “How do they breathe?”

“What?” 

Cody starts scanning the walls. “It’s a reinforced bunker, but it isn’t only droid inhabitants. They need oxygen.”

“Vents! Obi, I hope you’re feeling skinny.” Vos laughs, no doubt at Obi-Wan’s mental response.

The next few minutes are tense as Cody scans for vents and then as Obi-Wan makes his escape. He’s about to demand a report as if Vos is one of his men when he hears the unmistakable sound of marching droids. 

“We’re about to have company,” Cody warns.

General Vos ignites his lightsaber. “Obi’s in the vents, and Dooku’s throwing a temper tantrum, not that it’s doing him any good. We have fifteen minutes. Or maybe ten. Obi lost count.”

“He lost count on the bombs he set?” Cody checks his blaster to make sure it’s ready for the droid patrol. They need to survive the clankers and cut a path to freedom  _ and  _ get clear of the base before it blows, and they don’t have a concrete timeframe.

“He’s only thirteen, cut him some slack.”

“This is why thirteen year olds shouldn’t be setting bombs,” Cody mutters.

And then they have to stop talking, because there are droids coming at them from both sides. Fighting back-to-back with a Jedi against mis-matched odds is something Cody’s familiar with even though General Vos isn’t  _ his  _ Jedi. Still, they work well, turning to cover each other’s blind spots, cutting down rows of droids. The scent of blaster discharge fills the air, and General Vos’s breathing grows heavy as the battle drags out. 

“We’re coming,” Vos mutters. “No, wrong way, idiot.”

A moment later, Obi-Wan drops out of the ceiling. Vos growls and Force pulls him out of the way of blaster fire. “You were supposed to  _ leave _ .”

Cody fires and takes out a droid and then has to duck to avoid return fire. He unclips the saber from his belt and holds it out without taking his eyes off the fresh wave of droids. “This is yours.”

“Do I really become a Jedi?” Obi-Wan asks.

“You  _ are  _ a Jedi,” Vos answers.

Obi-Wan takes the ‘saber and ignites it in time to deflect a volley of blaster fire. The three of them work in concert, defending themselves from the droids as they fight their way toward the exit. Cody’s been counting down from ten minutes, and he really hopes it was fifteen, because ten won’t be enough. 

General Vos curses when a stray blaster bolt catches him, and Cody’s armor is singed but still holding when they make it to the doors of the base.

“Run!” General Skywalker bellows.

Standing on the rocky crest with Rex to the left of him, Tano to the right of him, and the 501st behind him is Skywalker. They lay down cover fire so Cody, Obi-Wan, and Vos can sprint without having to defend themselves. Vos pulls ahead of them, and Cody feels something push him and give him a boost. He catches Obi-Wan’s little smile before the kid grabs him and throws him. He’s airborne and it’s undignified and a little frightening. Someone, or something, catches him and cushions his fall. He still slams his shoulder into the ground.

He reorients himself to see Obi-Wan leap onto the rocky ledge. 

There’s a moment of charged silence before the Jedi throw their hands out and create a shimmering barrier. And then the base blows, an explosion upward, fired and smoke, chunks of metal and wall flying everywhere before it collapses, falling in on itself.

General Vos grunts and staggers backward. The shield flickers before Obi-Wan slips in front of him and weaves his fingers through General Vos’s, reinforcing the man and the shield. 

None of the explosion touches them.

Once the building is a smoking, charred ruin, the Jedi lower their hands. Tano’s trembling, the only sign she’s affected. Vos wraps his arms around Obi-Wan, holding him or cradling him, Cody isn’t entirely sure who is drawing comfort from who. 

“Shit, Obi,” Vos murmurs. He rests his chin on Obi-Wan’s head. “You killed Dooku.”

“What?” Rex turns them. He even takes his bucket off as if he thinks it’s interfering with his hearing. He isn’t the only one. “Dooku is dead?”

Dooku has been a thorn in their side since they left Kamino. He’s slippery and cruel and...gone? If they can kill Dooku, they can kill Grievous. And then maybe...maybe this damn war can finally end. Hope is a dangerous feeling, bubbling up inside of him. 

“I--” Obi-Wan’s voice wobbles. “He’s my grandmaster. Qui-Gon will be unhappy.” A series of emotions pass over Obi-Wan’s face, each more heart wrenching than the last. “Qui-Gon’s dead. I killed him and I killed Dooku. I’ve destroyed our line. Master Yoda’s legacy.”

“Hey, no.” General Vos crouches down and turns Obi-Wan so they’re facing each other and closer to the same level. “A Sith apprentice killed Qui-Gon. You did kill Dooku, but the bastard had it coming. And…” Vos gently turns Obi-Wan’s face to look at Skywalker and Tano. “Anakin was your padawan, and now he has a padawan of his own. Wave to Ahsoka.”

Obi-Wan obediently waves. “I have a padawan?”

“He’s a knight now. You have a grand-padawan.”

“I--” Clearly overwhelmed, Obi-Wan looks on the verge of tears. Instead of dealing with a grand-padawan who is older than him, he turns to Cody. “I ran away from you and put you in danger. I frightened you.”

Cody scoffs and carefully doesn’t look at the smoldering Sep base. It very easily could have been him in there. Him and Skywalker and Vos and  _ Tano _ . 

“I can feel it,” Obi-Wan says. “You had to come after me. I sent droids to slow you down.”

Cody sees the guilt pile on his general, weighing on his shoulders. “Blasting clankers is how we have our fun.”

Obi-Wan doesn’t even give him a pity-smile. “Take me to the medic tent.”

“Obi-Wan,” General Skywalker protests.

Obi-Wan slowly turns to him and even though he’s only thirteen with a lightsaber which is too big for his hands, he holds himself like General Kenobi. “As I understand it, I outrank you as both a Jedi and a member of the GAR. Take me to the medic tent.”

General Vos rubs his head. “Commander Cody, take him to the medic tent. Captain Rex, get me teams to look over the base. Skywalker, you’re on one of them, work with Captain Rex to figure out which.”

“What about me?” Commander Tano asks.

“You’re with me.” General Vos points to the scorch marks on his pants. “Help me hobble to a comm center, I need to report in to the Council.”

Obi-Wan pauses, clearly torn between finding the medic tent and hovering over his friend. General Vos waves him along. “Find me later.”

“Promise?” Obi-Wan doesn’t budge.

“Promise.” There’s something soft in Vos’s expression which makes Cody’s heart clench. “You aren’t alone.”

Obi-Wan looks up, as if he can hide his tears. And then he points up. Cody follows his finger. While they had their hands full on the ground, their brothers were waging a battle of their own. With two star destroyers and whatever Vos came in on, he doubts Dooku and his allies stood a chance. It’s about time they had a resounding victory like this. He only wishes it didn’t come at such a high cost.

He glances at Obi-Wan who’s captivated by the light show above them. The boy’s clearly exhausted. He woke up from a civil war, thought himself kidnapped, ran through the day and night to escape, and then wound up a captive of a Sep general. Add to that a rollercoaster of feelings, a lack of food, and proper damn footwear, it’s amazing he’s still standing. 

Maybe a trip to the med tent isn’t such a bad idea. Would he be able to convince Obi-Wan to stay for a spell? He could use a long sleep and probably a fluid line. Maybe even some nutrients if he could be talked into it. The kid’s too skinny.

“Will they be okay up there?” Obi-Wan asks. He stares harder as if he’ll be able to teleport himself onto the bridge of  _ The Negotiator  _ if he just tries hard enough. 

Cody’s fingers itch to hold his hand in case he succeeds. “We have more than enough firepower up there to deal with Dooku’s flagship. Let’s find the med tent. You haven’t met Kix yet. He’s with the 501st, but I’m sure he’s planetside.”

Obi-Wan hesitates but he must realize there’s nothing he can do from down here, because he allows Cody to lead him away. There’s a hastily erected med tent at the edge of the 212th’s base. Cody holds the flap over for Obi-Wan to walk through. Kix greets them as soon as they’re both in.

He looks them over with a critical eye. He frowns at the scorch marks on Cody’s armor and frowns even harder at Obi-Wan’s everything. “What’s wrong? Besides the obvious?”

“Casualties,” Obi-Wan says, not quite a demand, but it isn’t a request either.

Kix glances at Cody for permission before he answers. “No casualties.”

Both Cody and Obi-Wan let out a relieved breath. And then Obi-Wan leaves Cody’s side for the first occupied bed. There’s a brother resting, a bandage on his forehead. Obi-Wan hovers at the bedside.

“Just a scratch, General,” the trooper says.

Obi-Wan takes one of the man’s hands between his own. “What’s your name?”

“Clipper, sir.”

“I’m sorry, Clipper.” He tolds Clipper’s hand for a moment, before he moves to the next bed. 

It’s the same thing each time. He asks for the injured trooper’s name, holds their hand, and apologizes. Cody gives Obi-Wan space, but he tracks the boy’s progress through the tent. Kix remains at his side which is the real proof their battle went well. 

“How fucked is it?” Kix asks.

“Fucked.” Cody has a thirteen year old general who isn’t a general because his master abandoned him on a war torn planet. Abandonment as a punishment for caring.  _ Jedi aren’t permitted attachment _ . Cody’s fingers curl into fists. He’s heard Rex’s complain about Skywalker and even General Kenobi has vented his frustrations at times, because Skywalker and his relationship is far from subtle. But his general’s frustration isn’t with the attachment itself but the consequences if the Council found out. 

Is this why General Kenobi is more flexible with the rules? He’s young and bristling with feelings. Even as a general, he cares for each of the troopers in his care. He stretches himself too thin trying to care for each of them. Not for the first time, Cody wonders if maybe the Council is wrong about a few important things. 

“Did we really get Dooku?” Kix keeps his voice low.

“General Vos and Obi-Wan both felt it, but we’re looking for confirmation.”

“Even as a kid, General Kenobi was a prodigy?”

_ You were always slow. No wonder Qui-Gon kept trying to get rid of you _ . No, his general wasn’t a prodigy. Skywalker, yes, but not Kenobi. Cody’s general is skilled, but he had to work for it, harder than any of them realized. 

Obi-Wan finishes his circuit of the room. “They’ll all live?” he confirms.

“They will,” Kix answers.

Obi-Wan isn’t as cheered as Cody would’ve hoped. “Master Jinn rejected me as a padawan, because I’m impulsive. I didn’t take the time to analyze my situation, and I put you and your men in danger. This.” he looks out over the room, “is on me. I apologize, and I will do everything in my power to atone.” 

Kix stares at Cody, silently pleading for answers Cody doesn’t have.

Obi-Wan reaches into the folds of his tunics and holds his lightsaber out to Cody.

“I can’t take that,” Cody says. 

“You had it before.”

“Because you dropped it when you touched the orb. I was waiting for you to ask for it back.”

“I’m not a Jedi.” He thrusts the ‘saber at Cody. When Cody still refuses to take it, Obi-Wan drops the weapon on the ground and walks out of the tent.

Kix stares at the lightsaber as Cody bends down to pick it up. “Fucked, sir?”

“Fucked.”

#

There’s more than one medic tent which means Cody follows Obi-Wan into Sawbones’s domain. Again, he stations himself at the entrance as Obi-Wan does his circuit. He checks in with each trooper, holds their hand, asks their name. He’s definitely doing something more than that, because with each bed he visits, he moves slower, and he’s turning pale around the mouth and gray around the eyes. 

Fucking Force shit. He sends a text message to Vos, putting him on alert for when he’s done with the Council. Obi-Wan’s going to need some kind of intervention and it will most likely need to come from a Jedi. 

Obi-Wan pauses at Chef’s bed. His hands hover over Chef’s left arm or, at least, what’s left of it. There weren’t any deaths today but it doesn’t mean they escaped unscathed. Cody’s headed toward the two even before Obi-Wan directs a question toward him. “He’ll be given a prosthetic?”

“Yes.” Cody clasps Chef’s right hand, offering strength and reassurance. It won’t be as good as General Skywalker’s prosthetic, but it will be functional. 

“And proper pay and a medical discharge?” Obi-Wan asks.

“Discharge?” Chef squeezes Cody’s hand tightly even as panic makes him sit up. “I”m fine. They’ll snap a new arm in place, and I’ll be as good as new.” When Obi-Wan doesn’t react, Chef turns his plea on Cody. “I might need a few days to get the hang of a new limb, but I can do it. Commander, I--”

“Snap a new arm into place?” Obi-Wan interrupts. His anger is cold and a shiver runs down Cody’s spine. “You’re not  _ droids _ . You’re people. They’re going to replace your arm and send you back to the front line?”

“Yes,” Chef answers, and it’s the wrong thing to say, because Obi-Wan’s anger spikes again. It’s like icicles driving into their heads. Alarmed, Chef tugs on Cody’s hand. “Commander?”

Cody’s never seen General Kenobi lose control like this. He’s certainly seen his general emotional, but in those situations, he wields his emotions like a weapon. He uses his fury to sharpen his tongue and flay his enemy. He channels his helplessness into a desperate attack which somehow always gets them out of a tough spot. 

General Vos strides into the tent. He comes straight for Obi-Wan and puts his hands on the boy’s shoulders. “Control, Obi.”

Obi-Wan knocks Vos’s hands away. “You didn’t hear him, Quin. He’s hurt. He deserves rest and retirement and peace, and we’re going to fit him with a new arm, retrain him on how to shoot a blaster, and throw him back out there.”

“We’re at war,” General Vos says quietly, something broken in him as he bows his head. It’s the same quiet defeat Cody’s seen in his general. It was rare, those moments, because General Kenobi tried to keep a positive attitude around the troops and he tried even harder in Cody’s presence. 

But this is Obi-Wan, not General Kenobi, and indignation flares from him as he shoves Vos away from him. “If this is what it means to be a Jedi, I’m glad I’m not one.” Obi-Wan storms out of the tent, leaving the brothers and General Vos stunned.

Cody’s the first to recover, worried at having Obi-Wan out of his sight after what happened last time. “I can--”

“No.” General Vos attempts a smile to ease the refusal. It looks more like a wince. This close, Cody can see the tired circles under his eyes. The war is wearing all of them down. “I should. He needs to remember even if he isn’t a Jedi, he still needs to be in control of himself.” Vos drags a hand down his face. “I hope Skywalker stays distracted for another few hours.”

Cody nods in agreement. The 212th and 501st have heard enough of General Kenobi’s lectures about control and proper Jedi behavior. If Skywalker catches young Obi-Wan throwing his emotions around like this...it won’t be pretty. 

Vos leaves to track down Obi-Wan, leaving Cody standing at Chef’s bedside. He should connect with Wooley, get a full update on what happened once he left to infiltrate the base. There are injuries to tabulate, a star destroyer to get in contact with, plans to make. But for now, he pats Chef’s hand. 

“He was angry.” Chef still seems stunned. Before Cody can reassure him, Chef smiles. “For  _ us _ . I thought he didn’t remember anything.”

“He doesn’t.”

Chef’s smile grows. “I always knew our general was one of the good ones.”

“The best,” Cody agrees. He isn’t perfect, despite Skywalker’s grumbling, but he’s good, and Cody will take good over perfect any day.


	4. Chapter 4

General Vos’s attempt to meditate with Obi-Wan failed, because the kid has a stubborn streak ten kilometers deep and refused to do it. Since Vos is also stubborn, he insisted they sit until Obi-Wan gave in. 

Obi-Wan fell asleep instead which Cody will count as a win. He’s on the ground, curled in a tight ball, using Vos’s thigh as a pillow. Vos, for his part, has accepted he isn’t moving for a while, and he has a hand tangled in Obi-Wan’s hair like an anchor. 

“He was drawing the troopers’ pain,” Vos explains as Cody stations himself next to them. There isn’t actually anything for him to do until Rex returns with his team and they request transport up to the star destroyers. He could try for a quick nap of his own, do another round of the med tents or start compiling his reports, but he doesn’t want to be away from Obi-Wan. Kid keeps finding himself in trouble. 

“Why do I not like the sound of that?” Cody asks.

“Jedi can release their emotions into the Force,” Vos says which is basic information anyone who’s spent an hour with a Jedi knows. “We can release pain as well. It’s not a skill you have.”

“We have high pain tolerances,” Cody says. And the veteran troopers know how to subsume their pain or ignore it until the danger has passed and it’s safe to be distracted. 

“He was acting as a filter. Drawing their pain into him and then releasing it into the Force.”

Cody was right. He doesn’t like this. 

“It’s painful, obviously.” Vos smiles even though it isn’t funny. “And it’s a mental strain. He’s pushed himself in the med tent. Especially given how he helped boost the shield outside the base.”

“He threw me with the Force before that,” Cody says.

“He fought the droids with us, Force pushed the four of us before that.”

“Ran all through an entire day and night to reach a Sep base where he snuck in and rigged some explosives before turning himself over to Dooku.”

“Fuck.” Vos lightly runs his hand through Obi-Wan’s hair. “He’s hurting.”

Cody’s lips twitch. “His boots don’t fit. His feet are covered in blisters.”

“Of course they are. I’m older than Obi-Wan, you know. I was a padawan when he was still an initiate. Jedi are a terrible bunch of gossips, and there were rumors flying around about him. He was amazing with a lightsaber. Everyone was convinced he was going to be picked up by a master. He was going to be the shining example of the Jedi Order.”

“What happened?”

“Yoda happened.” Vos scoffs and smooths out the wrinkle in Obi-Wan’s forehead. The boy snuffles and curls a hand around Vos’s leg. “He saw Obi-Wan as Qui-Gon’s salvation, became determined they were destined to be a pair, and he discouraged anyone else from approaching him. Only, Qui-Gon was damaged. He wasn’t ready for another padawan, and his rejection of Obi-Wan was loud and public and devastating. It broke something in Obi. It made him scared and desperate, and it wasn’t a good combination. He got in an unsanctioned fight and kicked out of the Order.”

“Kicked out?” Cody asks. 

Vos lifts one shoulder in a shrug. “Initiates who wash out, the ones who aren’t chosen to be padawans are sent to one of the Corps. The practice has fallen out of fashion recently. We’re too desperate for numbers to send anyone away. But Yoda saw one last chance to meddle, and he sent Obi-Wan to the AgriCorps facility on Bandomeer at the same time he sent Qui-Gon to Bandomeer on a different mission.”

“They crossed paths?”

“Eventually. Obi-Wan had a slave collar on his neck by the time Qui-Gon found him. He was ready to detonate the thing, sacrifice himself so Qui-Gon could save everyone else.” Vos’s lips quirk up in a humorless smile. “Sound familiar?”

“This is why you don’t like Qui-Gon.” Yes, Cody bristles at the thought of anyone rejecting Obi-Wan, but if Qui-Gon wasn’t in the right headspace to raise another being, it was the right choice. He knows what happens when people are thrust into responsibilities they aren’t prepared for.

“He told Obi-Wan his willingness to sacrifice his life for others made him worthy of being a Jedi and accepted him as his padawan.”

Well, that certainly explains eighty-five percent of his general’s personality.

“And then, a year later, when Obi-Wan chose to help the Young on Melida/Daan, Qui-Gon walked away from him. Everyone talked about what a rule-breaker Qui-Gon Jinn was. A  _ maverick _ .” Vos scowls. “But it was his way or the airlock. A model Jedi.” 

“He doesn’t talk about his past much,” Cody says. “I suppose this is why.”

“He came back different from Melida/Daan. I can’t blame him, war does that to you. But at the end of the war things got bad. He had to call the Jedi in for help and they, of course, sent Qui-Gon. He resolved the conflict and then Obi-Wan asked to be taken back. Qui-Gon never let him forget it. That he chose to leave or that it was only Qui-Gon’s forgiveness which allowed him back.”

“That’s shitty,” Cody says. He wouldn’t dare say it to anyone else, but Vos doesn’t seem like he’d censure Cody for speaking the truth about the Jedi. Though this does explain a few things. The care his general takes in learning each of his troopers, how he makes sure they know his estimation of them doesn’t rest on their skill in battle.  _ You’re more than what you can do _ , he’s fond of saying.  _ You are who you are _ . Cody always thought it was Jedi nonsense. It might, in fact, be the opposite. 

“It got worse,” Vos says. “You see, Qui-Gon rejected him first and then Obi-Wan rejected him and then he spent the rest of his apprenticeship fearing a final rejection. And he got it at the end.”

Fuck, really? Cody doesn’t say it out loud, but Vos laughs as if he heard the thought anyway. The laughter dies quickly. “I suppose he doesn’t talk much about Naboo.”

“No.” In fact, Cody’s learning there’s quite a lot his general doesn’t talk about. 

“You know he and Qui-Gon crash-landed on Tatooine?” 

“It’s how they met Skywalker.”

“Right. They land on this planet, Obi-Wan’s told to hang on the ship and guard Queen Amidala while Qui-Gon goes looking for parts for the ship. He comes back with Skywalker and a Sith apprentice hot on his heels. I was actually on Tatooine, then. Skywalker was like a fucking beacon. He was raw, unharnessed power. Without proper training, he could go supernova. Qui-Gon decided he would be the one to train him.”

This, Cody knew. Sometimes, after General Kenobi had to clean up one of Skywalker’s messes or after their rare but explosive fights, Cody would find his general sitting in his quarters, holding a smooth stone in his palm.  _ Qui-Gon was supposed to raise him, you know _ , General Kenobi said once.  _ He was the master Anakin deserved. I’m failing him but I don’t know how to stop _ .

“There was one slight problem. Qui-Gon already had a padawan.”

Cody shakes his head even though he can’t change the past. 

“He told the Council how bright and brilliant Skywalker was, how he was untapped potential and needed the right master to guide him. When the Council reminded him he already had a padawan, he recommended Obi-Wan for his trials in order to get rid of him. Understandably, things were tense. It wasn’t the first time they struggled with their relationship, but it would be the last. Qui-Gon got himself killed before they could resolve their issues. And then Obi-Wan took Skywalker as his padawan, because it was the fucker’s last wish.” Vos shakes his head. 

“How much does Skywalker know?”

“Probably none of it. Qui-Gon’s the Jedi who swooped in and plucked him out of slavery, who rescued him and made all his dreams come true. And then he died before he could fall off the pedestal Skywalker had him on. He had a crooked nose, you know. Qui-Gon, not Skywalker. He never had it fixed. Every time I saw his face, I was reminded he was so fucking annoying someone punched him for it. My guess is it happened so often he got tired of going to the healers.”

Cody snorts even though it’s disrespectful. “General Kenobi’s surrounded by people who support him now. Each one of us, we’d die for him if it came down to it.”

Vos loses his humor. “I know. And he’d do the same for you. It’s honorable, I guess, but do you know what I’d like? If we could all fucking live.”

“Maybe once the war is over.” Cody doesn’t let himself think about after the war very often. It’s a nebulous concept,  _ after _ . They were created and raised for war. What will they be without it? And these days, it feels like the war will never end. He’ll march and deploy and fight and then one day he’ll be marching beyond. It’s a depressing thought.

“We’re a step closer to it today than we were yesterday,” Rex says.

Cody turns to see Rex and Skywalker approach. They spot Obi-Wan sleeping and quiet their steps, but it’s too late. Obi-Wan stirs, rubbing his cheek against Vos’s thigh. As if realizing he isn’t alone, he goes completely still before he jumps to his feet, crouched in a ready position. He reaches for a weapon which isn’t there and panics.

“Hey,” Vos says. He holds his hands out, showing he isn’t a threat. “It’s okay, Obi. It’s me, remember? A little older than you remember, definitely handsomer.”

Obi-Wan wrinkles his nose.

“Too early for those feelings?” Vos teases.

Behind them, Skywalker makes a choking sound. 

Obi-Wan rubs his eyes which only calls attention to how tired he still looks. He spots Rex and Skywalker, and any bit of calm leftover from his nap is gone. “You finished inspecting the base?”

“Dooku’s dead,” Rex says. He doesn’t confirm how they know, and Cody’s grateful for it. He’ll ask him later, once they’re out of earshot of Obi-Wan. The kid doesn’t need to know the details. 

“Battle’s done up there too.” Skywalker glances up. “It’s time to pack up and go home. Obi-Wan will travel on  _ The Resolute  _ with me.”

“He will, will he?” Vos asks.

Obi-Wan edges closer to Cody as the two men bicker over what Obi-Wan is or isn’t going to do. Rex follows the movement and switches to the private comm. “Are you absconding with him?”

“I’m going to let him choose,” Cody answers. 

“He’ll choose you,” Rex says.

“He doesn’t know me. Most likely, he’ll go with General Vos.”

#

Obi-Wan chooses Cody and  _ The Negotiator _ . He doesn’t hide how pleased he is, and Rex teases him for it as Cody guides Obi-Wan away from the two arguing generals. With any luck, they won’t realize Obi-Wan’s gone until  _ The Negotiator  _ is already headed for Coruscant. 

They help pack up the temporary camp and then board the last transport. Marshall’s in the pilot’s chair while York and Crys are strapped in and waiting for take-off. Cody straps himself in and Marshall waits to start the engines until Obi-Wan is as well.

“Once we’re on your ship, do I get a blaster?”

“Our ship,” Cody says. “And you used your lightsaber against the droids.” Cody’s still hoping Obi-Wan’s going to see sense and take it back. But...after his conversation with Vos maybe it won’t happen. Obi-Wan’s deeply scarred, emotionally as well as physically. He doesn’t feel worthy of his weapon or the Jedi, and Cody doesn’t know how to fix it. 

“You promised.” 

“After you eat, we can do a marksmanship test.”

Obi-Wan squints suspiciously at him as if he’s worried this is a stalling technique. But then he shrugs because, as Cody’s learned since the de-aging, food is one of his top priorities. “Quin just realized I was missing. I told him we’re going to beat him to Coruscant.” Obi-Wan’s pleased smile fades. “I don’t belong in the Temple. They don’t want me.”

Cody’s very aware of Marshall, York, and Crys pretending they aren’t listening in, impressive given the close quarters on a transport this size. “They do want you.”

“They want  _ him _ . They never wanted me. Do you know what changed their mind?”

“I’ve only known you for two years and you never talked much about your past.” He learned more from Vos in that twenty minutes than he has in two years with General Kenobi. He’s beginning to understand why his general avoided certain topics. 

“When we get to the ship, I want to apologize to Womp.”

“He’ll tell you it isn’t needed.”

Obi-Wan doesn’t seem deterred. “Is he in trouble because of me?”

Yes, but Cody doesn’t want to admit it. Of course, he’s quiet for too long, and Obi-Wan picks up on it.

“How much trouble?”

“He shouldn’t have let you get the drop on him. We’re supposed to be vigilant.”

Obi-Wan flips up the hood on his cloak and pulls his knees up his chest. It’s clear the conversation is over, and Cody leans back in his seat. It’s going to be a long trip back to Coruscant.

#

They land in the hangar bay and disembark. Obi-Wan’s earlier irritation fades as he immediately steps to Cody’s side, brushing against Cody’s armor with each step. Cody feels foolish as he remembers this is Obi-Wan’s first time seeing the ship. Even the hangar bay is probably bigger than most starships he’s been on before. 

“We’re on a Venator-class Star Destroyer,” Cody tells him.

Obi-Wan’s eyes widen. He drops his hood to give him his full peripheral vision. He spins in a slow circle to take in the whole bay. “These are brand new. And  _ huge _ . I...have one? What kind of war did we land ourselves in?”

Cody doesn’t feel up to explaining the nuances of the Clone Wars, especially to a kid whose moods change quicker than Skywalker’s. Cody understands why Obi-Wan is blowing hot and cold, but it doesn’t make it easier to deal with.

“Would you like to see Womp?” Cody asks. It’s a clumsy distraction, but it works. Obi-Wan forgets all about the war as he follows Cody through the levels until they reach the trooper quarters. 

The hallway is row upon row of doors, and Obi-Wan’s expression is troubled as they pass each one. No doubt, there are more questions about the war percolating in his head. They stop in front of Womp’s quarters, the ones he shares with Packrat, Gusher, and Marshall. Cody presses the comm next to the door panel. “This is Commander Cody. Permission to enter?”

Cody has the overrides for every door on  _ The Negotiator _ , but he values privacy. The troopers deserve what peace and quiet they can find, and they certainly deserve to put a closed door between them and their superiors. 

The door slides open, and Cody gestures for Obi-Wan to go through first. He wonders what the boy’s reaction is to the small space. There are two sets of bunks, four total beds, and each is made with neat, military precision. Four lockers line the wall opposite the door. Inside is an armor rack and a small box for any personal belongings they’ve to accumulate. 

It’s bare but Obi-Wan doesn’t seem fazed. He seeks out Womp who sits on the edge of the bottom bunk on the right wall. He’s down to his blacks, and he fiddles with the sleeve as they enter. Obi-Wan steps into Womp’s space, claiming the spot between his feet. With Womp sitting, Obi-Wan has the slight edge in height, but it isn’t much.

“Did they hurt you?” Obi-Wan asks.

Cody shouldn’t be surprised by the question, Obi-Wan did come out of a war where apparently murdering children is acceptable. But it catches him off guard, and it hurts that this kid thinks Cody hurts his troopers. Of course, he thought Cody was a Jedi killer so it isn’t the worst thought he’s had about Cody. 

Womp glances at Cody as if for confirmation Obi-Wan actually asked that. It’s the wrong reaction, because Obi-Wan follows Womp’s gaze and his expression hardens. “Please wait outside for me.”

Cody nods and steps back into the hallway. The door slides shut, cutting Cody off from a conversation he’d like to hear. 

He checks his messages and his schedule, noting the new meetings he has. Their orders are to go to Coruscant, and he tells navigation they’re set to depart. He has an angry message from General Skywalker for absconding with Obi-Wan which Cody ignores because they’re all going to the same place. He has a congratulatory message from General Vos for his abduction which Cody also ignores, because he didn’t abduct Obi-Wan. The kid chose to come with him even though he doesn’t seem to think very highly of Cody. 

Cody taps out a message to Rex, telling him they made it safely onto  _ The Negotiator _ so Rex can pass the message onto Skywalker if and when he feels like it. He sends an update to Wooley, asks for one in return, and then scans the news for what, if any, information has gotten out from Seshura.

So far there doesn’t seem to be anything on the ‘net, but it’s only a matter of time. He wonders which will hit first, Dooku’s death or General Kenobi’s de-aging.

Obi-Wan emerges from Womp’s quarters more subdued than when he entered. His robes drag on the ground, the hem ragged and dirty. When they were planet-side, they had to make do with what they had, but Cody is going to see Obi-Wan properly outfitted now that they’re on  _ The Negotiator _ .

“A trip to the quartermaster is in order,” Cody says. “And then I’ll show you where you live.”

“You aren’t going to ask?” Obi-Wan shadow’s Cody, half a step behind him to the right. At first, Cody thinks his shorter legs can’t keep up with Cody’s military stride. He slows, only for Obi-Wan to match the new pace. It takes Cody an embarrassingly long time to realize he’s treating Cody as if he’s a Jedi master and Obi-Wan’s his padawan. He isn’t sure what to do with that information once he has it.

“If you wanted me to know, you would have let me stay.” Cody keeps the hurt out of his voice, and he’s very proud of himself for it.

“I wanted Womp to tell me the truth instead of looking to you for cues. He says there’s no physical punishment in the GAR, but he has been disciplined.”

Cody knows this, He was the one who handed down the punishment. It was lighter than what he wanted, but he figures Womp’s guilt will take care of the rest. 

“He said he asked you for a harsher sentence,” Obi-Wan says. His tone doesn’t give away his feelings on the matter.

Cody’s refusal helped compound Womp’s guilt so, in a way, that was the harsher sentence. He knows better than to say that to Obi-Wan.  _ Jedi killer _ . Fuck, that’s going to haunt him for a while, huh? 

“We care about you,” Cody says. They reach the lifts, and a cluster of brothers part and let them through. They all stare and none of them get on the lift with them even though they’re all going up. The doors slide closed, leaving Cody and Obi-Wan in a bubble of privacy.

“You care about  _ him _ .” 

Cody isn’t up for debating the nuance of Obi-Wan versus General Kenobi or trying to explain that whatever Obi-Wan’s first impression of Cody was, he isn’t a Jedi killer or a child killer. Instead, he brings Obi-Wan to Hyuck’s domain. Their quartermaster obviously had forewarning of their general’s condition, but it doesn’t stop him from staring as they enter. 

“I suppose you’re here for new clothes,” he finally says.

“I don’t need them,” Obi-Wan says. “If you provide me with a mending kit, I can adjust them. There’s no need for waste.”

Hyuck braces his arms on the counter and leans forward. “Have they told you you become a general?”

Obi-Wan nods.

“Have they told you how the chain of command works?” Hyuck grabs a pad, already pulling up a stock list. “As general, you’re in charge. Except,” he puts emphasis on this word and pauses until Obi-Wan gives him his undivided attention. “When medical overrides you or you are in my domain.”

“Hyuck,” Cody chides.

“My domain, my rules,” Hyuck says.

“That’s not how the chain of command works,” Obi-Wan says.

“It is if you don’t want boots which are always a size too small or seams which always seem to unravel at the crotch. We all exercise the power we have at our disposal.”

Obi-Wan’s placid demeanor shifts, a spark of boyish mischief in his eyes. “The crotch?”

Cody glares at Hyuck over Obi-Wan’s head. The boy might be a former padawan and future Jedi General, but right now he’s thirteen, and Hyuck should really know better. 

Hyuck winks and turns his screen toward Obi-Wan. “Fortunately for you, I’m well-stocked for Jedi who are always losing their robes.” His jab doesn't land, because Obi-Wan doesn’t know his future self’s reputation for leaving behind clothes everywhere he goes. “What colors do you want?”

Obi-Wan’s smile fades. “No robes, please. I’m not a Jedi.”

Cody jumps in before Hyuck can ask any of the questions he has. “Three sets of blacks, please.”

Hyuck visibly swallows back his questions. “Of course. Do you have the time to sit while I make some adjustments? They’re all sized for troopers.”

“I’m good with a needle,” Obi-Wan says. “You don’t need to waste your time.”

“This is my job,” Hyuck reminds him. “You and Commander Cody take a seat unless the commander has other duties he needs to attend to.”

“I’ve sent the messages I need to send.” Cody sits in one of the chairs in front of Hyuck’s desk. His muscles are stiff as he lowers himself down. If he can spare the time, he’d like a hot shower and a good stretch tonight. “We’re enroute to Coruscant. It should be a quiet trip. Maybe I’ll catch up on my reports.” Of course, he’s also going to be babysitting a thirteen year old so maybe not.

“How will you spend your time?” Hyuck asks Obi-Wan. “No reports for you, I hope.”

“I want to do some reading.”

“On what?” Hyuck’s clearly only trying to make conversation, but Obi-Wan clams up as if he’s looking for Jedi secrets. 

“Why don’t you meditate?” Cody suggests. They have the time and it’s probably the kind of thing he should do multiple times a day. 

“I’m not a Jedi,” Obi-Wan says, stubborn. 

“Anyone can meditate.”

“Who told you that?”

“Your future self did.” Cody offers him a small smile. “It’s been a chaotic few days. We could each use some peace.”

Obi-Wan shifts so he’s cross-legged in his chair. Cody’s envious of his youthful flexibility. His own muscles hurt just looking at it. Obi-Wan looks at Cody, suspicious, as if this is some sort of trick. Cody closes his eyes first. He doesn’t meditate, but he allows his thoughts to drift, refusing to latch onto one thing. 

The next thing he knows, Hyuck clears his throat. “Clothes are ready, Commander.”

Cody opens his eyes and smiles when he sees the three sets folded and stacked on the table. He takes them as Obi-Wan says thank you. They leave for General Kenobi’s quarters, and they stop to greet every trooper they pass. Obi-Wan studies their armor, their faces, and then asks their name as if committing each of them to memory.

“There’s so many,” Obi-Wan says.

“Thousands. And those are only the brothers on  _ The Negotiator _ .”

They reach General Kenobi’s quarters, and Cody enters the passcode. He ushers Obi-Wan in first. Obi-Wan only makes it two steps inside before he pauses. It’s a battle cruiser so the quarters aren’t lavish, but they are designed for a general. There’s a small living room, a bedroom, and a ‘fresher. 

The living room, the one they’re standing in now has a desk where General Kenobi does most of his work. There’s two chairs, one behind for Kenobi and one in front so Cody has a place. There’s a couch against the far side of the room. Cody’s spent more than one night sleeping there. 

Obi-Wan enters the bedroom, and Cody remains where he is to give the boy his space. He’s curious what Obi-Wan makes of the space. How will he react to the glimpses into his future self? He’s already rejected his lightsaber. What else will he reject? 

Obi-Wan returns, a thoughtful expression on his face. “You have reports?”

“I do.” Cody sits in what he considers his chair. There are drawers built into both sides of General Kenobi’s desk. The ones on his side open to reveal Cody’s various data pads, flimsis, and other necessities.

“He trusts you.” Obi-Wan hovers by General Kenobi’s chair, but he doesn’t sit yet. He tilts his head as if fitting more pieces into his puzzle. “You’re friends.”

“Yes.”

“Then I’m sorry for your loss. And I’m sorry for my behavior toward you.” Obi-Wan takes his stack of clothes and retreats to the bedroom. He returns in the simple pants and shirt the brothers wear under their armor. The black makes him look slimmer, like a shadow which might disappear if Cody looks away for too long. 

Obi-Wan sits in General Kenobi’s chair and pulls out a datapad and a holo-reader. He’s able to access both with ease and settles into a quiet study which encourages Cody to do the same.

#

Cody’s chrono beeps with a reminder to eat. He’s prepared to fight his general on setting aside their reading, but all he has to do is mention food and Obi-Wan packs everything away. He’s at the door before he realizes Cody’s still sitting. 

Right, this isn’t his general. This is a traumatized boy. Cody stands up, locking his pads and putting them away. He joins Obi-Wan in the hallway and Obi-Wan studies him for a moment before he slips his hand into Cody’s. “I’m sorry,” he says again.

They walk hand-in-hand to the mess. The expression on Cody’s face keeps his brothers from saying anything. They might tease him about it later or set Rex on him to mock him, but he’ll deal with it as long as Obi-Wan is spared. This, the small hand clasped in his, this is an expression of affection his general would never make so openly. To be gifted this, trusted with it...Cody would put up with a lot more than some sniggering behind his back. 

Obi-Wan holds onto him even as they pass through the mess line, using one hand to support his tray. He brings Cody to an empty table, and they sit side-by-side so he doesn’t have to relinquish his hold. It means Cody eats with his left hand, but he does so without difficulty. 

Once again, Obi-Wan eagerly eats everything on his tray, and he does it without complaint. When they’re done, they bring their trays to be cleaned and re-used. Cody turns toward the exit and feels a tug on their joined hands when Obi-Wan doesn’t turn with him. 

“I know the way back to my quarters,” Obi-Wan says. He looks through the serving window at the brothers on kitchen duty. Womp is one of them, sweat glistening on his forehead from the heat back there. Cody should’ve seen this coming. 

“I am as much at fault as he is.”

Cody doesn’t have the energy to argue against this and, honestly, he doesn’t have a good reason to. If Obi-Wan feels like he needs to pay some kind of penance, the kitchens is a good place to do it. “Report to your quarters once you’re done.”

“And tomorrow we’ll test me on blasters?”

“Yes.” There are enough brothers in earshot to spread the news. It means the gym will be packed tomorrow, a full audience. 

“I’ll bring him back to you,” Womp promises, leaning through the window. 

Obi-Wan gives Cody a dorky wave before he rolls up his sleeves and slips through the door to help with kitchen duty.

Cody retreats to his general’s quarters and, after a moment of deliberation, pours himself a glass of General Kenobi’s brandy.


	5. Chapter 5

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I've already messed up the posting schedule so why not continue? Have exasperated!tired!Dad!Cody and some more sad!Obi-Wan.

Cody limited himself to two glasses of the alcohol because one, it’s General Kenobi’s favorite and difficult to get a hold of during the war, and he doesn’t want to leave an empty bottle for his general to find when he comes back. And two, if he had a few more glasses, the firm barrier he’s erected in his mind to keep out unwanted thoughts would crumble, and he’d have to confront the fact that he may not get his general back.

They’ve been through a lot, him and his general. They’ve been stranded on planets without back-up or even the long-distance comms to request help. They’ve been kidnapped. There was the time his general decided to go undercover as a slave and then the plan went to shit and he and Rex were tortured until Cody could scramble together a rescue. There was the time the fucking flu swept through  _ The Negotiator _ , and General Kenobi was the only one immune, and he took the time to sit with each brother while Sawbones drew vials of blood hoping to find some kind of vaccine. 

Whatever mess they find themselves in, they manage to find their way out. Sometimes, it’s because when General Kenobi’s back into a corner, he sets aside the Jedi Code and his stringent set of rules and morals and he unleashes a frightening amount of badassery to make sure all of his men escape their current predicament alive. Sometimes, it’s because when the choice is between General Kenobi’s own life and the lives of even half a dozen troopers, he’ll pick them every time and throw himself at Grievous as a distraction so the rest of them can evacuate. He claims he stays behind because he’s harder to kill. Cody maintains the only reason he gets out of those duels is because Cody’s just as stubborn as he is about leaving a man behind.

But what each of those situations comes down to, is General Kenobi. He always finds a way, no matter how fucking impossible it seems to Cody. General’s been radio-silent for a few days? No problem, start searching nearby planets for life-signs, yeah especially the ones with carnivorous plants, he’ll find a way to stay alive until they reach him. General’s going undercover and promises everything will be fine? Stick a tracker in his clothes and make him eat one for good measure so they’ll know where to look when things go topsy-turvy. 

General Kenobi says the Force is with him. Rex says he’s got Sith luck. Cody thinks it’s a mixture of experience and having Cody to watch his back, but the end result is the same. His general gets into weird shit and then gets out.

This time is different.

Because it isn’t his general who’s in this situation. It’s a younger, smaller version of him, stripped of all the experience he’s come to draw on in situations like these. It’s one without the confidence to fling himself into a fight knowing he’ll come out of it. Cody’s grown used to his general performing miracles. Did he know how to do that at thirteen?

There’s a knock at the doors but before Cody can open them, they slide open on their own. 

“I watched Cody put the passcode in earlier,” Obi-Wan tells Womp.

“Thank you for the delivery,” Cody says. Womp nods and continues down the hall, leaving Cody and Obi-Wan alone.

Thankfully, the glass and the brandy have been put away so there are no signs of Cody’s maudlin actions or thoughts. Cody studies Obi-Wan for a moment. The boy’s streaked with sweat from the kitchens, his hair is sticking up in every direction, and no doubt, under his blacks, he’s filthy with the dust and grime from Seshura. 

“You need a shower,” Cody says. Really, Obi-Wan needed one as soon as he stepped on board, but Cody wasn’t thinking about it then.

Obi-Wan stiffens, the instinctual prickliness of a teenager being told what to do, but he doesn’t outright reject the offer. After a moment, he nods and heads off to do what he was told. Is this obedience a lingering effect of the Jedi Temple? Does Obi-Wan see Cody as an authority figure?  _ Is  _ Cody an authority figure? Fuck, he needs another drink.

Obi-Wan’s shower is isn’t so short as to be rushed but it isn’t long enough for him to have lingered. Apparently Jedi frugality is one of the lessons which stuck with him. He appears in the living room in a fresh set of blacks, his hair dripping in wet clumps. 

“You want to check behind my ears?” He folds his arms over his chest, challenging.

“It’s bedtime,” Cody decides, going for broke. “You’ve had a traumatizing few days, and the closest thing you’ve had to a good sleep is the nap you took on General Vos.”

“It wasn’t a  _ nap _ .” And oh, there’s that teenage bristle again. “It was a recharge.”

Cody arches an eyebrow, the only communication they need on that particular subject. He leaves Obi-Wan to settle in and sleep.

Back in his own quarters, Cody doesn’t prepare for bed. He works at his own desk until his eyes ache and refuse to stay open long enough to get any reading done. He sets his work aside, prepares for bed, and then falls face first into it.

When he wakes up on  _ The Negotiator _ , he has a moment of peace. This is home, or as close to it as he’s ever had. Whatever mission went sideways, whatever battlefront they’re being sent to next, he’s in his room, in his bed, and everything’s okay.

Except.

Seshura. The orb. His general’s a child.

He bolts out of bed, changes into a fresh set of clothes in lieu of a shower, and goes down the hall to General Kenobi’s quarters. Obi-Wan has a habit of disappearing and then bad shit happens to him. Cody won’t let it happen again on his watch. 

Before Cody can knock, the door slides open. Standing in front of him with sleep-squashed hair, is Obi-Wan. 

“I didn’t want to leave without permission and worry you again,” he says.

“Thank you.” Cody might get whiplash from Obi-Wan’s moods. He’s clinging and then he’s running away. He’s holding Cody’s hand and then accusing him of abusing his troops. If all humans have this kind of unbalance in their early years, it’s a wonder Skywalker ever lasted long enough to be a knight. 

“Blasters?” Obi-Wan sticks himself to Cody’s side.

“Food first.”

There’s actually a moment where Cody’s not sure Obi-Wan’s going to agree, before he nods and falls into his new place half a step behind Cody. If he was willing to even consider skipping food for a blaster test, it must be something he really wants. It makes sense. Even if he’s come around to the whole de-aging thing, everything and everyone he sees is new to him and a potential threat. 

Forget a blaster, if Cody was in this situation he’d be sleeping in a weapons’ locker. 

The mess hall is quiet at this hour, but there are a few scattered pockets of brothers. They look up at their entrance and then return to their trays and their quiet conversations. Obi-Wan accepts his meal tray before he looks out over the room. His gaze lingers on the backs of brothers, none of them looking their way anymore, before he catalogues all the empty seats.

“Do I make them uncomfortable? Because I’m not him?”

Cody guides Obi-Wan to where Boil, Waxer, and Gusher are eating. Honestly, Cody’s presence probably puts the brothers more on edge than Obi-Wan’s does, but he doesn’t tell the kid that. Instead, he nods a greeting at his men and gestures for Obi-Wan to sit next to him.

“Good morning,” Obi-Wan greets. “Boil, Waxer, Gusher.” He smiles at each of them in turn before he digs into the mush on his tray without concern for its bland taste or odd texture.

Waxer turns slightly green around the mouth as he watches. “I guess it’s true about humanoid males being able to stomach anything.”

“Rex says Skywalker made Torrent eat bugs once. The squirmy ones with a hundred legs. It was that or starve. Fives says they lived but at what cost?”

“Fives is a dramatic asshole,” Boil says. He glances at Obi-Wan and winces. “Uh, dramatic guy.”

“I’m not a  _ crecheling _ ,” Obi-Wan says with all the disdain of a teenager. Message sent he uses his bread to wipe the last of the mush from his bowl. Cody suspects if he didn’t have his bread, he would’ve used his finger. It’s a far cry from the proper Jedi master who serves as their general, but, as Cody is learning, there were many fires in which their general was forged.

“I was spoiled at the Temple,” Obi-Wan says as if picking up on Cody’s thoughts. He peers into his cup, sniffs it, and then drinks all of it in one go. “Bandomeer had a major AgriCorp outpost, but the food they grew wasn’t for us. When I went on missions with Master Jinn, he’d forget sometimes. But Melida/Daan was the worst. There was barely anything to eat. And what there was, the effort it took to get it, it almost wasn’t worth it.” His tray cleared, Obi-Wan turns to Cody. “Can I take my exam now?”

Cody’s still stuck on the insight into Obi-Wan’s past he dropped without any apparent regard for its effect. He isn’t the only one. Waxer’s hands curl around his cup and it creaks under the pressure. “Your Jedi Master would forget to feed you?”

Obi-Wan doesn’t react to Waxer’s fury beyond a soft bafflement. “I was an unwilling burden placed upon him. I was a disgrace to his teachings, and I rejected him and the time and patience he gifted me with when I remained on Melida/Daan. Apparently, he took me back, and I thanked him by doing nothing as he died. A missed meal here or there hardly tips the balance against him.”

Boil stands so abruptly, his chair slams back into the table behind them. “I’m going to gym one for a spar.”

He storms off, his tray left behind for Waxer to grab as he follows. Obi-Wan watches them go with a furrow in his brow. “This is why attachment is dangerous.”

There’s a thousand things Cody has to say in response to  _ that _ , beginning with how disapproving of child neglect isn’t attachment but common decency and ending with an expletive filled rant against the Jedi Order. “I thought you weren’t a Jedi.”

“Supposedly I become one again.”

His general, the older version of him, did he ever want to set aside the burden of being a Jedi? He must have. Cody’s seen the weight of the war on General Kenobi’s shoulders. It’s the same weight Cody feels, the responsibility for their troops’ lives, the concern for the civilians, the frustration at all the unnecessary death and destruction the war brings. He knows General Kenobi would never walk away, he wouldn’t find peace with guilt pressing in on him from every side. Because as much as he hates the war, he is well-suited to it, just as Cody and his brothers were bred for it. 

But Obi-Wan, this young child, he has a choice. He doesn't know about the war, he doesn’t know Cody and his brothers, not really. Would he walk away? Would the Council let him? Cody would understand. Maybe he’d resent him a little for the rest of his life, and some of that resentment would be jealousy, but Cody wouldn’t keep him here. 

“But maybe I won’t,” Obi-Wan says, echoing Cody’s thoughts and for a moment he’s afraid he’d spoken out loud or that Obi-Wan had dipped into his head. “There is no Master Jinn to give me a third chance and usher me into knighthood.”

“You think you’ll re-live your life?” Cody asks as they take the lift down. He doesn’t ask the question lurking in his head -  _ do you  _ want  _ to re-live your life? _ “The Council hopes to reverse whatever happened to you.”

Obi-Wan’s expression doesn’t give any hint to his thoughts. “They will most likely succeed and then this will be another story to share. What did your men call it? Weird Jedi shit?”

It’s odd to hear Obi-Wan’s young, Core-accented voice swear. It’s even worse to hear him say  _ your men _ instead of  _ our _ . Cody brings them to training gym two, knowing Boil and Waxer won’t appreciate having company as they work out their aggression gym one. 

Gym two already has an audience, over a hundred troopers lining the walls. Cody wonders how they decided who got to watch and how many of them are streaming or even recording this. Their general’s attitude toward blasters is well-known, and he’s sure the entire ship is curious what this thirteen year old can do with them.

Obi-Wan doesn’t seem bothered by all the people watching. There’s a grim sort of determination to him, and he studies the training blasters after Cody opens a weapons locker for him. No doubt the makes and models are different than what he’s used to, twenty years makes quite the difference, but he finds a smaller one which fits well in his hand. He takes two charge packs and a utility belt. The belt is cinched to its tightest setting. He holsters his blaster, attaches his charge packs to his belt, and turns to Cody. “What’s the first test?”

“Do you want to warm up first?” Cody asks. 

“If there was an ambush, I wouldn’t have time to prepare,” Obi-Wan counters.

“This is a training exercise, not a real-life simulation.”

Obi-Wan takes off the belt and sets his blaster aside. “Will you join me?”

Their warm-up is a few easy laps around the gym and then a series of stretches which Cody doesn’t even attempt. He does his own stretching routine, because he’s stiff from the fighting on Seshura, but Obi-Wan’s on a completely different level. After he puts  _ both  _ his feet behind his head he flashes Cody an impish smile.

Oh. He’s showing off. And, from the muttered amazement of their audience, he’s getting the reaction he wanted. Next he goes through what Cody recognizes as katas, but he does them open-handed, without a ‘saber. He catches Cody staring, and there’s no smile this time. “I’m also proficient in hand-to-hand combat if you want to test that as well.”

“Let’s start with blasters,” Cody says. Obi-Wan doesn’t need to prove anything to belong here. If he thought saying that would help, he would, but he has a feeling if he said it they’d end up playing hide-and-seek on a star destroyer. 

Obi-Wan takes him at his word and abruptly ends his warm-up. He reattaches his belt, scoops up his blaster, and then waits, semi-patiently, for Cody to set up the first set of targets. Cody does the most basic, stationary and close enough to almost be insulting. This is the real test, in Cody’s estimation at least, and Obi-Wan doesn’t react in any visible way. If he thinks this is beneath him, he doesn’t say.

He falls into a stance, not the proper one they were taught on Kamino, but it keeps him balanced and ready to move. Did he learn it in-battle? Obi-Wan pulls the trigger once, twice, three times. Blaster charge fills the air. This close, Cody inhales a lungful and it smells like the comfort of Kamino and burns like the worst parts of the war. The center of the target is a hole, charred at the edges. 

“Next,” Obi-Wan says.

They test distance, they test movement, they test distraction. Obi-Wan completes each exam with quiet, steadfast comptenancy. Cody hesitates for a moment before he calls for training droids. Gearshift programs two to their lowest setting and sends them out. 

Obi-Wan’s aim is good, right up there with the top sharpshooters of the battalion. Whether he used the Force to augment his skill or not, it’s undeniable he has it. And, as the droids fire on him, it’s clear he has practical experience in addition to good aim. He ducks and rolls to avoid being hit. He springs to his feet, fires a bolt at one of the droids, and moves again. 

Cody’s seen his general fight before, and he’s had his breath taken away by watching the Jedi with his lightsaber. It was beautiful and deadly, and Cody knew his general understood what it was like to be born into war. Only, watching Obi-Wan take out the two training droids and call forth more, he realizes he made a mistake. He and his brothers were born for war. What did Obi-Wan say? The Temple spoiled him? Melida/Daan shaped him in ways Cody’s only understanding now. 

His general knew peace and then he learned the very high costs for maintaining it.

Obi-Wan’s good, but six droids are a lot to keep track of. A stray shot from one of them is headed toward the spectators, and Obi-Wan dives  _ into  _ it, taking the stun bolt to the shoulder. He curses as he drops his blaster. He scoops it up with his other hand, rolls, and comes up firing. 

One, two, three, he nails three of the droids straight in the chest, activating the off-switch. The fourth one takes a shot to the off-switch on the back of its head. The fifth one goes down not much long after. The sixth one, the one which aimed for a brother and hit Obi-Wan, that one Obi-Wan takes down manually, flinging himself at the droid and smashing his fist into the off-switch. 

He stands and wipes the sweat from his forehead as he turns to Cody. He holds himself off-balance as if his arm is still numb from the stun-shot. “Do I pass?”

_ Am I one of you? _

Cody’s heart aches for this boy who desperately wants to belong. No matter how good he is with a blaster, he isn’t a brother. He’s the boy who will become a general. He’s a  _ Jedi _ , and that is where he belongs. 

“Do you know how to clean your weapon?” Cody asks. “Your exam marks are high enough to carry it with you  _ if  _ you know how to properly care for it.” A training blaster isn’t much, the most it can do is stun, but it’s a weapon and, since he refuses to carry his lightsaber, Cody wants him to have it. 

Obi-Wan sits where he is in the middle of the charred floor and carefully disassembles his blaster so he can clean it.

York steps up to Cody’s side and lowers his voice. “I didn’t realize our general was proficient in blasters.”

He doesn’t like them, he calls them uncivilized, but looking back, Cody’s never seen proof his general was unfamiliar with or bad at using the weapon. Had fighting a civil war as a kid turned him off blasters? If he associates them with the slaughter of children…

Cody’s stomach roils. They can’t reach Coruscant fast enough.

#

They’re four days out from Coruscant when Cody realizes the dark circles under Obi-Wan’s eyes are growing. “You aren’t sleeping.” He sets his datapads on General Kenobi’s desk and gives Obi-Wan his full attention.

“I’m sleeping.”

“You aren’t sleeping well,” Cody amends. Obi-Wan squirms, unsure how to twist himself out of this one. It’s enough confirmation for Cody. “What can I do to help?”

“Nothing. You’re very busy. I won’t be a bother.”

Cody isn’t sure whether he’s impressed or depressed at how early his general’s bad habits started. “Sleep deprivation is a medical issue. Would you prefer to discuss this with Sawbones?”

Obi-Wan shakes his head, even more alarmed at the thought of bothering their medic. “I’ll nap.” He points to the couch for proof.

“You have a bed.” As soon as Cody says it, he takes in a few details, the closed door to the bedroom, the corner of a blanket not quite shoved under the couch all the way, the indents in the cushions as if someone’s been using it. “You aren’t sleeping in your bed.”

“Can I have a bunk?”

Even if Obi-Wan is thirteen, he’s still their general or their general-adjacent enough that he can’t let him bunk with the troopers as if he’s a regular soldier. Still, it’s obvious the current arrangement isn’t working. It should’ve been obvious earlier. Living at the Temple, even living in a warzone, Obi-Wan’s no doubt used to being around other beings.

“Gather what you need,” Cody says.

Obi-Wan scrambles to obey. He takes his blanket, his two changes of clothes, and a stack of datapads and follows Cody down the hall. Cody’s quarters aren’t as spacious as Obi-Wan’s, but he has his own fresher and a large room which boasts a bed, a desk, and a couch. Obi-Wan sets his datapads on Cody’s desk and then places his extra clothes next to the couch before he settles himself on the piece of furniture.

Cody pinches the bridge of his nose. “My couch isn’t a better option than your couch.”

“Why not? They’re comfortable.”

Cody tries again. “You can’t sleep on the couch.”

“Why not?”

He can’t say it’s because he’s a general, because Obi-Wan is very obviously not General Kenobi. Can he say it’s because he’s a kid? He settles for the classic, “Because I said so.”

Obi-Wan laughs and rolls his clothes into a pillow. “That isn’t a good reason.”

“The bed is more comfortable,” Cody tries. He gets an eye roll and nothing more. What does he know about kids? No, what does he know about Obi-Wan? “I won’t sleep unless you’re in the bed.”

Obi-Wan goes still, considering this. He eyes Cody as if testing his resolve. Cody deliberately sits at his desk and pulls out the paper copy of the GAR regs he keeps on hand for the aesthetic. Obi-Wan stares at the thick paper book for a long moment before abandons the couch for the bed. He studies the neat corners and the perfectly placed pillows and then moves to the left side of the bed. He places his clothes on the table next to it, adds his utility belt and blaster holster to the pile, and then slides under the blanket. 

How could he tell Cody prefers the right sight simply by looking at it?

Obi-Wan wiggles around until he’s comfortable and then he looks expectantly at Cody.

“No,” Cody says. “I have a perfectly functional couch.”

A slow smile spreads across Obi-Wan’s face, one Cody’s seen a hundred times and knows better than to trust. It’s his  _ I’m about to get what I want _ smile, and dread pools in Cody’s stomach. “The bed is more comfortable. Besides, I won’t sleep unless you’re in the bed.” Obi-Wan’s smile is impish and doesn’t diminish one bit under Cody’s stare.

“I have reports,” Cody says. 

Obi-Wan sits up. “I’m feeling very awake right now.” He yawns but instead of looking chastened, he reaches across the bed to grab Cody’s datapad off the bedside table. “Huh.  _ 1000 Ways to Die in the Desert _ . Morbid.”

“It’s actually quite funny.” Cody sighs, knowing he’s lost this fight and knowing he can’t let anyone ever know. “Put it back. I’ll come sleep.”

“Compromise.” Obi-Wan oozes smugness as he wiggles back into a sleeping position.

“This must be why they call you the Negotiator.”

“I thought that was the name of the ship.”

Cody removes his armor and hangs it on his rack. “We named it after you. You’re one of the best diplomats the Order has.” He leaves Obi-Wan to digest this bit of information as he goes through his nightly ritual.

When he returns, the covers on his side of the bed are pulled back in invitation. Cody climbs in and has a moment to settle himself before Obi-Wan scoots closer, tucking himself against his side. “Is this okay?”

Cody drapes his arm over the boy’s waist. “Sleep. I won’t let any harm come to you here.”

#

Cody’s startled awake when someone kicks him. There’s an intruder in his bed, and he goes still, waiting to see what will happen. The intruder lashes out, a small hand wrapped around his neck. Cody flips them with ease and pins the attacker. 

Reality filters in and he realizes he has Obi-Wan trapped beneath him as if he’s a threat. “Shit.” Cody rolls back to his side of the bed. “Did I hurt you?”

“No.” The voice is soft where it emerges from the darkness. “Did I hurt you?”

“No.” Cody’s heart pounds too fast in his chest. Maybe one of them  _ should  _ be sleeping on the couch. “Bad dream?”

Obi-Wan is quiet long enough for Cody to wonder if he fell asleep. But then Obi-Wan inches closer to him as if unsure of his welcome. “I dreamed I didn’t figure it out in time. I helped Master Dooku kill you. He said he was proud of me.”

Cody draws Obi-Wan close, closing the gap Obi-Wan’s too afraid to. He runs his hand through the boy’s hair, assuring him he isn’t in trouble and that Cody is here. “We’re alive.”

“There are so many of you. How does he keep you all safe?”

“He doesn’t.”

“He should.”

There’s enough anger in Obi-Wan’s tone to make Cody pause. “He does his best.”

“It isn’t good enough. He’s had twenty years to learn. Why isn’t he better?” Obi-Wan punches the mattress and when it doesn’t give him the satisfaction he wants, he tries to pull away from Cody as if he doesn’t deserve the comfort.

Cody holds him tighter. He allows Obi-Wan to struggle, but he doesn’t let him go. “Being at war means there are people we can’t save. It doesn’t matter who the generals or the commanders are. War means loss.”

“It shouldn’t.” Obi-Wan gives up his struggle and shakes in Cody’s arms, tired and wrung out. “I’m tired of losing people.”

_ Me too _ , Cody thinks.

#

They don’t talk about it in the morning. They go about their day, eating, training, reading, but they don’t discuss the previous night. And, when it comes time to sleep, there’s no argument over who sleeps where. They climb into bed and Obi-Wan tucks himself up against Cody’s side again.

Obi-Wan has another nightmare. This one ends in tears, and Cody holds him close and lets him cry.

They don’t talk about that either.

#

Obi-Wan’s blaster skills improve with daily teaching, and he insists on working on his vibroblade skills and his hand-to-hand. He’s a scrapper which shouldn’t surprise Cody, but it does. General Kenobi has a way of making fighting elegant, with his leaps and lightsaber moves. Obi-Wan fights hard and he fights dirty like someone on their last chance. 

He still isn’t a match for the brothers who have years of muscle mass and experience on him, especially because he doesn’t use the Force in any visible way, or maybe at all, but he holds his own. 

Cody never participates. He’ll offer tips during blaster training, but he won’t get on the mats with Obi-Wan. He still remembers what Womp said. He thought Cody was a Jedi killer. Cody won’t spar with him, won’t give any fuel to the nightmares that lurk, waiting for Obi-Wan to lower his guard and sleep. 

They’re a day out from Coruscant, and Obi-Wan’s surpassed his usual two hour training as if he’s trying to exhaust himself so he can’t think. York easily pins him and then offers him a hand up. Obi-Wan takes it. His gaze is drawn to Cody as he stands. More specifically, his gaze is drawn to the lightsaber on Cody’s belt. 

“Do you know how to use it?” Obi-Wan asks. 

“No. It’s his.”

Obi-Wan considers this for a moment. “You have a special clip on your belt for it.”

“I spend a lot of time picking it up. I’ve heard him tell General Skywalker a dozen times his lightsaber is his life and to be more careful with it. He should take his own advice.”

“Maybe he did,” Obi-Wan says. He gestures to Cody’s belt. “He found someone he trusts to look after it.”

Cody’s throat tightens with unexpected emotion. Obi-Wan smiles sadly at him before he tugs on York’s shirt. “Again?” 

Cody runs his fingers over the grooves in General Kenobi’s lightsaber and wonders what it means that he’s become the guardian of it. 

#

Obi-Wan doesn’t sleep on their final night in space. He does try, settling into bed as has become their routine. But after an hour of tossing and turning, he retrieves his reading materials from Cody’s desk and brings them back to bed with him. 

“You should sleep,” he tells Cody. 

“You never told me what you were researching.”

Obi-Wan pats Cody’s shoulder and doesn’t answer. The last thing Cody remembers before falling asleep is the muted glow of the datapad on Obi-Wan’s face.


	6. Chapter 6

They enter Coruscant’s orbit and then have to wait for permission and instructions to land. Obi-Wan finds Cody on the bridge. “I’ve been summoned before the Jedi Council to discuss the situation.”

Obi-Wan isn’t any more rested than he was at the start of their journey, but between the daily training and meals, he’s filled out a little. He’s still too small, too fragile, and Cody doesn’t want to let him go. At the best of times, he’s ambivalent toward the Jedi Council. They put the greater good ahead of everything and while, in theory, Cody understands it, he doesn’t want to see Obi-Wan sacrificed for that good. 

General Kenobi will sacrifice himself, the less they discuss Rako Hardeen, the better, but he is at least an adult capable of making those decisions. Obi-Wan is a child, and Cody wants to fit him for a set of armor and hide him away from the war. 

“My presence has been requested as well,” Cody says. Because whatever his thoughts and feelings are regarding the situation, he has orders to follow. Deliver Obi-Wan to the Council, make a report, follow his next set of orders. 

“May I ask a favor of you?”

“If it’s within my power, I will do it.”

“Most likely, I’ll be escorted straight to the Temple. Could you go to the Senate and bring with you the most trustworthy senator we know?”

Assembling allies. It’s a valid strategy, and Cody understands the impulse given Obi-Wan’s experience with the Jedi Council. He doubts it will matter much, the Council has a way of getting what they want, but Obi-Wan asked and so Cody will do it.

#

Cody lingers long enough to see Obi-Wan safely into the care of General Vos before he goes to 500 Republica. He knows which senator he wants to find, and he can only hope they’re available on such short notice. 

When he presents himself outside Senator Organa’s apartments, he’s inspected first by a security droid and then a protocol droid. It’s a long, tense wait before he’s allowed inside and then it’s another wait before the man himself appears.

“Commander Cody?” Senator Organa’s surprise is expected, there’s no reason for Cody to personally call on him except in this case and no one could have predicted this. “Something happened. Is it related to the news we’ve been hearing?”

“It depends on what you’ve heard. If you are available, your presence is requested in the Council Chambers.”

Senator Organa raises his eyebrows. “I’m not sure there’s anything in my schedule which is more important than a Council summons. Do I need anything?”

“Just yourself.” Cody feels a prickle of guilt for misleading him, but really, the senator made his own assumptions, and Cody simply isn’t correcting them. General Kenobi would be proud of him. 

Senator Organa is ready in five minutes and they depart. Once they’re in his personal speeder, Senator Organa erects the privacy barrier. “Is it true? Dooku is dead?”

“I cannot comment.”

“Understood. There’s been a lot of chatter, none of it confirmed. Can you at least tell me if Obi-Wan’s alright?”

“I cannot comment.”

Senator Organa taps the comm system to the front and requests his driver to break any speed limits he safely can.

#

They reach the Temple, and Cody escorts Senator Organa through the security checkpoints and to the Council Chambers. No one detains them for long, and when they reach the waiting room outside the chambers, Cody’s relieved to see Obi-Wan there. Generals Vos and Skywalker are with him, but General Skywalker seems unhappy. 

“Oh my,” Senator Organa says when he spots Obi-Wan, no doubt putting the pieces together.

Obi-Wan’s shock is a bright flare, and he turns to Cody, disbelieving. “You brought Senator Organa?”

“You asked for someone he trusts.”

Obi-Wan blinks before he remembers his manners. He steps forward and bows. “Senator Organa, thank you for agreeing to come with little warning or explanation.”

“There will be an explanation?” Senator Organa asks, adjusting to this better than Cody thought he would. Of course, he’s known General Kenobi longer than Cody has. Perhaps he’s used to weird Jedi shit.

“In there.” General Vos nods toward the closed doors. 

Obi-Wan stands straighter at the reference to the room. If his current memories are of leaving the Order to try and bring peace to Melida/Daan, he’s no doubt afraid of what judgement is waiting for him in there. 

“Do you want this?” Cody asks, gesturing to the lightsaber on his belt.

“It’s not mine,” Obi-Wan answers. 

Before anyone else can speak, the Council doors open. General Windu himself stands there and he looks at Obi-Wan and the small crowd with him and gestures them inside. He raises his eyebrows at Senator Organa’s presence and Senator Organa shrugs. 

“This was your errand?” General Windu asks Cody.

“Obi-Wan asked,” Cody answers. 

General Windu takes his seat, and Cody looks around at the circle of Jedi, some of them physically here, some of them holo’d in. He’s glad they were allowed in with Obi-Wan. He can’t imagine how intimidating it would be to face them all on his own. As soon as he’s had the thought, Obi-Wan steps forward, separating himself from the group. He locks his hands behind his back as he faces the Council. “You have requested my presence and I am here.”

His voice is young, off, but the words are right. It’s like listening to someone try to impersonate his general, and Cody wonders if maybe Cody’s the one who isn’t prepared for this meeting. 

“Good to see you, it is,” Master Yoda says. “Well, you are?” 

“Yes.”

General Windu takes over. “Before we begin, I would like to remind everyone what is said in this room does not leave this room.” He waits for nods of agreement. “We’ve heard from Commander Cody and General Vos what transpired on Seshura. We would like to hear from you, Obi-Wan.”

“I was preparing for a raid. We were running low on food, and we couldn’t end a war if we starved.”

“Who’s we?” Master Ti’s holo image flickers as she interrupts.

“The Young,” Obi-Wan answers. “I’m--I  _ was _ on Melida/Daan.” His head dips and Cody knows he’s feeling guilty again, but he doesn’t let it break him. He raises his head to meet Master Windu’s gaze. “I went to bed with battle plans in my head and I woke up somewhere different. I was disoriented at first. There was a bright light and I wasn’t where I was supposed to be. I was surrounded by men in armor carrying blasters, nothing I’d seen on Melida/Daan. One of them had a lightsaber. They knew my name but said they knew an older version of myself. I didn’t trust them, but I didn’t have any options so I went with them.

“They told me about the war they were fighting. They said I was a general. They said we were fighting droids and trying to save the Republic. But they spoke Mando’a. They looked like Jango Fett. I know my history. I know about Galidraan. It was a trap or a trick. I couldn’t trust them. They tried to talk to me. They told me stories. Fed me. It was confusing. It’s when I realized they didn’t want me dead. Either I was a hostage or they wanted to sell me into slavery. It wouldn’t be the first time.”

Cody learned of this from Vos, but it’s still shocking to hear Obi-Wan lay it out so plainly. At thirteen, Obi-Wan had been a slave and dropped into a civil war. If this is the level of care Obi-Wan’s guardians had for him, it’s no wonder he grew into a man with no self-preservation instincts. 

“I didn’t believe I’d been de-aged, and if they knew things about me, I figured it was research. And then one of them let slip that Master Dooku was on his way to the planet.” Obi-Wan digs his nails into the thin skin of his wrist. “I know I’m not a part of the Jedi Order anymore, I turned my back on my master and his teachings, but I was scared and I thought my grandmaster would help me. So I said I had to pee because then only one trooper came with me. I subdued him and ran away.

“I knew even with a head start, they were faster and smarter than me. I wouldn’t be able to outrun them. I found a droid patrol and told them there would be soldiers coming after me. I--” Guilt twists Obi-Wan’s voice and he falls silent for a moment. “I set a trap for the 212th. I take full responsibility for any and all injuries as a result of my actions.”

“You didn’t know,” General Windu says.

“You always told me I was too rash,” Obi-Wan says and there’s fresh pain in his voice as he admits to the fault. “You warned me against it as an initiate and again as a padawan. I acted without thought. I acted based on emotion.”

“What happened next?” General Koon asks, wisely realizing Obi-Wan could spend hours reporting on his self-perceived faults, and getting them back on track.

“I made it to the base. I thought even with the droids, the army would make it too. I heard them saying there were reinforcements in the air and that they were calling in two more generals. They wanted to kill my grandmaster. I figured they would chase me. So I set another trap. I slipped through the base and set explosive charges. I was going to draw in the army and its generals, and I was going to take them out.”

Cody knew this was the plan, he held Obi-Wan through the aftermath of nightmares where this plan succeeded. General Skywalker knew the base was rigged, but his small gasp suggests he didn’t realize  _ why _ . 

“Master Dooku arrived and I presented myself. He was...different. He didn’t feel right in the Force. He was surprised to see me. That’s when I started to think maybe Commander Cody had told the truth. That I was supposed to be twenty years older. And if that was true then maybe Master Dooku was the enemy and if  _ that  _ was true, I was in trouble.”

_ You always were slow. No wonder Qui-Gon kept trying to get rid of you _ . Cody curls his hands into fists. Most of him is glad Dooku is dead and won’t cause trouble for the galaxy any more. A small part of him wishes he was alive so Cody could kill him with extreme prejudice. 

“We spoke for a bit and then four people arrived. Two Jedi I didn’t know, Commander Cody, and Quin. It was definitely Quin and he was definitely older, and I realized I’d lured my people into a trap. They were in danger because of me. I was scared and I was angry and I Force pushed them out of the room and sealed the doors. And then I activated the timer on the explosives.”

There’s quiet murmuring amongst the Council members, but General Windu holds a hand up for silence. 

“Master Dooku talked some more. He’s--he was a Sith. He Fell after I failed to save Master Jinn. He lost his padawan, and his grand-padawan was a disgrace. He took his own path. I was prepared to serve as a distraction and die with him--”

“What?” General Skywalker’s outburst crackles like a plasma cannon through the room. 

General Vos puts a hand on General Skywalker’s arm. “Let Obi-Wan finish.”

“How are you so calm about this? Aren’t you supposed to be his friend?”

There’s a sudden charge to the air even though, as far as Cody can tell, nothing’s changed. But General Vos, his hand still on General Skywalker’s arm, stares the other general down. “Do I feel calm to you, Skywalker?” His voice is low and dangerous. “You were Obi-Wan’s padawan, but I was his friend. I’ve been watching him try to throw his life away since before you were born.”

“General Vos.” General Windu’s rebuke is mild, but the Kiffar turns to him, fury crackling around him. 

“And you encouraged him! You and Qui-Gon  _ fucking  _ Jinn. I was there. The exams, the ‘saber testing, the field simulations. Obi-Wan proved himself over and over, but Jinn wouldn’t have him. Refused to train him until Obi-Wan offered to die for him.  _ That’s  _ your legacy, Master Yoda. Good, does it feel?”

“Enough!” General Windu doesn’t raise his voice, but the word rumbles through the room, demanding obedience. “Obi-Wan, can you finish.”

There’s a sniffle and Obi-Wan’s head bobs. “I--” his voice cracks and he takes a deep breath. “I was going to distract him but then Quin was in my head. We still have our pairbond. He told me there was a vent, and I better get in it. He and Commander Cody helped lead me out of the base. We got out and met up with the troopers on the ground before it exploded. I felt Master Dooku die. It hurt.”

“I’m sorry you had to experience that,” General Windu says. “It’s never easy to feel life plucked from the Force, and it’s more difficult when it’s a Jedi.”

“He really is dead?” Senator Organa asks. “This could turn the tide of the war.”

“We should strike while the Separatist forces are weak and disorganized,” General Vos agrees. “I was hunting Grievous before I was called in for this. Let me finish the job.”

“Discussing the war, we are not,” Master Yoda chides. He looks at Obi-Wan. “Your future, we determine.”

Obi-Wan takes another deep breath. “I dishonored my master and this temple with my choices on Melida/Daan, but you granted me another chance before. I humbly request to be given one again. If Master Vos doesn’t have a padawan, I would like permission to request he take me on.”

Cody’s ashamed he didn’t see this coming. Of course Obi-Wan would plan for the worst. If he’s stuck as a thirteen year old, he would want to become a Jedi again. And, with Master Jinn dead, he’s turned to someone familiar. While Cody can’t deny General Vos holds Obi-Wan’s wellbeing in high regard, Cody also can’t deny that he wants Obi-Wan with himself. 

“With General Vos, your future does not lay,” Master Yoda says.

Obi-Wan doesn’t seem as defeated as Cody thought he’d be. “You see me as volatile and needing a firmer hand.” He approaches General Windu and bows deeply. “Master Windu, would you do me the honor of accepting me as your padawan learner?”

“We have the sister orb,” General Fisto says. “It’s deep in our vaults. When you touch it, you’ll be restored to your current self. You’ve already taken the long road to becoming a Jedi, there is no need to do it a second time.” General Fisto smiles, as if encouraging Obi-Wan to smile back. After a moment, the humor drains from the general’s face. 

“Know of this solution, you already did?” Master Yoda asks.

“Master Dooku told me,” Obi-Wan answers and there’s a ripple of unease through the room. “But he also told me all the ways in which I failed. I would do better this time. Accept me, and I will become the perfect Jedi.”

The perfect Jedi. How many times has General Skywalker accused General Kenobi of being just that? Cody isn’t so blind as to think General Kenobi has no faults, but he certainly tried to present himself as a model Jedi. Is this why? Rejection and failure molded him into what people wanted to see rather than who he truly was? Cody wants to grab Obi-Wan and take him far away from this place. 

“You are not yourself,” Master Fisto says. “Mace, do you have the orb with you?”

Obi-Wan takes a step back and stumbles, but Cody surges forward to brace him before he falls. He steadies the boy and then steps to the side, showing himself with Obi-Wan’s decision, not the Council’s. Maybe it will get him sent to Kamino for re-education, but he won’t sit back and watch as they strip Obi-Wan’s agency from him. 

“You cannot force this,” Obi-Wan says and his voice wavers. “I have no padawan braid, no lightsaber, and no training bond. Whether I am of Stewjon, where I was born, or Melida/Daan, the planet I chose, I am a Republic citizen and as such I have all the rights and privileges afforded in the Bill of Sentient Rights.” He turns to Senator Organa. “You are on the Committee of Sentient Rights. At thirteen standard, I am not at the age of majority but nor am I the age of minority. The Jedi Council cannot force me to take action I am opposed to.”

Senator Organa is clearly taken off guard, but he recovers quickly. “Well-spoken and true. While technically the Jedi are your guardians, you have passed out of the age of minority, and they cannot make this decision on your behalf.”

“They are not my guardians,” Obi-Wan says. “When I chose to stay on Melida/Daan, I made my choice knowing it would sever me from the Jedi Order.”

“You cannot allow this!” General Fisto’s holo-self paces in front of his seat.

“At the moment, we must.” General Windu leans back in his seat. “Obi-Wan Kenobi, you are a citizen of the Republic and as such, we cannot force you into this decision. With your permission, we will continue to discuss it with you.”

“As long as I’m present and Obi-Wan is willing, I don’t see why that would be a problem.” Senator Organa’s smile is pleasant but there’s steel behind his words. “Obi-Wan, my home is welcome to you in this period of transition.”

“Thank you.” Obi-Wan’s smile is a tentative thing and he turns to Cody.

“No.” General Fisto’s expression is darkly pleased. “You might have senators participating in this farce, but CC-2224 is property of the Jedi, and he will not disobey direct orders.”

“Property?” Obi-Wan whirls on General Fisto’s holo. There’s anger in his voice, not the low, controlled emotion Obi-Wan sometimes uses to his benefit but something wild, uncontrolled, like General Skywalker when he’s in one of his rages. 

“We were created for this war,” Cody reminds Obi-Wan. He supposes he didn’t fully explain what that meant at the time. Obi-Wan turns to him now, and his eyes blaze with the kind of righteous fury Cody’s caught glimpses of on the battlefield. 

“Your name is Cody. He called you by a  _ number _ .” He clasps Cody’s arms. “You are a good man. You deserve more than this. All of you deserve more than this.” Obi-Wan’s brows pull together, a sign he’s thinking. His whirlwind blows to General Vos next. “You’re chasing down Grievous? Let me come with you. I’ve killed one Separtist general, I’ll kill another and end this war.”

General Vos curls his hand around the back of Obi-Wan’s neck and bends down to press their foreheads together. They don’t speak, but Cody can feel the words pass between them. By the time they’re finished, General Skywalker is antsy, and even the Council members look as though their patience is thin.

General Vos straightens and wipes the tears from Obi-Wan’s cheeks. “May the Force be with you, Obi.”

“You too,” Obi-Wan says as General Vos takes his leave. 

“Could we have a moment with Senator Organa?” General Windu asks. 

It isn’t actually a question for all that it’s phrased that way, but Obi-Wan hesitates as if considering his answer. 

“I’ll remain with him,” General Skywalker says, stepping to Senator Organa’s side. “I know you don’t remember me, but you raised me. I won’t let them make choices for you.”

It’s a surprisingly emotionally astute response from General Skywalker, and Cody doesn’t quite lock his emotions down enough, because the man flicks him an irritated glance. Time for a tactical retreat. “We’ll wait outside for them, Obi-Wan. They won’t be long.”

Obi-Wan glances at Senator Organa and at the man’s nod, he follows Cody into the waiting chamber. As soon as the doors close behind them, Obi-Wan flings himself at Cody squeezing him tight around the middle.

Cody grunts and then hugs Obi-Wan back. 

“I don’t want to leave you,” Obi-Wan murmurs, the words muffled by Cody’s armor. “Is that selfish?”

“My brothers and I are clones. We were created for this war, to fight and to die for the Jedi. He never treated us like we were disposable. He learned our names, and he always did his best to make sure we returned from each battle he led us into.” Cody loosens Obi-Wan’s grip so he can kneel down in front of the boy. “He gave us  _ choice _ . Whatever you choose, I will support you the best I can.”

“I’m scared,” Obi-Wan admits, his voice quiet as if he’s afraid a Jedi will overhear and whisk him away. “The way you talk about him. I can’t be him. I don’t know how. I don’t want to mess it up.”

Cody doesn’t have any answers. He opens his arms again and holds Obi-Wan close until the chamber doors open. General Skywalker zeroes in on the two of them and the thundercloud on his face darkens even more. 

“Are you ready to go?” Senator Organa asks softly. 

“You can say no,” Cody tells him. He’ll kneel here for hours if it’s what Obi-Wan needs. 

“Five more minutes?” Obi-Wan asks. 

General Windu clears his throat. “Commander Cody, we need to discuss the 212th and how to proceed with your general out of commission.”

Obi-Wan stiffens in Cody’s arms. His body trembles as he swallows one sob and then another. Cody does his best to keep his face blank, it wouldn’t be good to be caught glaring at a high general, but his patience with Jedi is nearly at its end. 

“Five minutes?” Cody requests, feeling foolish, but he’ll risk his command for the boy in front of him.

Before General Windu can respond, Obi-Wan steps back. He wipes the tears from his face even as new ones rise up to take their place. “I shouldn’t keep you from your duties.” He walks over to Senator Organa and holds out his hand, tentative, questioning. 

Senator Organa clasps it in his own. “Have you ever been to 500 Republica, Obi-Wan?”

Obi-Wan shakes his head. They walk down the hall, Senator Organa’s soft voice fading as they go. Cody stands, his armor creaking, a reminder he needs to give it a good clean while they have a respite. 

“Was that really necessary?” General Skywalker demands. “He’s a kid!”

“Exactly.” Any emotion General Windu might be feeling is kept off his face. “He’s not General Kenobi, and we need to adjust to being without. Commander, if you’ll come back inside?”

Cody re-enters the chambers. He stands in the center of them, on his own. He looks at the Jedi masters around him, and locks his hands behind his back. He realizes his mistake as soon as Master Yoda’s gaze is drawn to the lightsaber on his belt. 

“His life, that weapon is,” Master Yoda says. “Trusts you with it, he does.”

Cody suspects he knows where this is headed, and he cuts it off before any of the Jedi can suggest it. “I will not ask Obi-Wan to use the orb.” His fingers brush the lightsaber and even though he isn’t Force-sensitive, he swears he can feel its hum. “He trusts me and I trust him in return. I will support the choices he makes.”

Several Jedi start to protest but General Windu holds up a hand for silence. “We can give the 212th one week. If we don’t have General Kenobi back, you’ll be sent out with a new general.”

“Understood.”

“Stop by the quartermaster, he’ll assign you and your officers quarters in the Temple. We’ll have daily meetings to discuss the future.”

Cody’s back is so straight it hurts. 

“Dismissed,” General Windu says.


	7. Chapter 7

Cody has multiple meetings with various Jedi every day, meetings he could easily have from  _ The Negotiator _ . But what he can’t do from the star destroyer is be in the halls when Obi-Wan is ushered to or from his own meetings. Obi-Wan always has a smile and a greeting for him, but the smile slips too quickly from his face. He’s exhausted, wrung out in a way Cody’s never seen before, and they’ve had some seriously fucked missions. 

On day three of the 212th’s leave, Cody is leaving the Council Chambers as Obi-Wan and Senator Organa are arriving for their own. Cody’s positive the Jedi arranged the meetings this way, but he isn’t sure what the purpose is. He already told them he wouldn’t sway Obi-Wan to their side. 

Today, there’s an unmistakable tension between Senator Organa and his young charge. It’s something Cody might not have noticed if he hadn’t spent the past two years with Jedi, but the air between them is cold. He frowns as they enter the chambers. 

There’s nothing he can do so he goes to one of the training salles. Commander Tano is there waiting for him, and the two of them practice against General Skywalker. Normally, Skywalker is indulgent with his padawan, giving her a challenge but also allowing her hope. Today, each of their bouts is over in minutes. 

After the fifth, Commander Tano doesn’t get up off the ground. Cody’s banged up, his body bruised even with the protection of his armor, but it’s his will which is tired, not his body. He suspects it’s the same for Commander Tano. General Skywalker is unhappy, but he hasn’t hurt them.

“Again,” he says. 

Commander Tano rolls her lightsabers toward her master’s feet. “No.”

“No? You’re giving up? Is that what you’ll do in battle when it gets hard? You’ll hand your ‘sabers to the nearest droid?”

Commander Tano turns to Cody for help. 

“Is this the kind of leader you’ll follow into battle?” General Skywalker asks Cody. He doesn’t wait for an answer, building himself into one of his rages. “That’s what they’re going to do, right? If we don’t get Obi-Wan back they’ll throw Ahsoka into the front lines.”

“I’m not ready.” Commander Tano looks afraid and she glances between the two men, waiting for one of them to reassure her. 

“I’m trying to make you ready.” With a flick of his wrist, General Skywalker sends his padawan’s lightsabers back to her. “Again.”

Wearily, Commander Tano gets to her feet. 

“Well?” General Skywalker demands of Cody. “Are you going to sit this one out like your general?”

Commander Tano gasps.

General Skywalker’s rage flickers in the face of Cody’s arched brow. He grinds his jaw and ignites his ‘saber, but it’s all posture. When Cody doesn’t react, Skywalker crumbles, falling to his knees. “I need him, and he left me. He isn’t supposed to do that.”

Cody uses his private comm to send a message to Rex. They’re going to need back-up on this one.

#

Day Four, or maybe it’s Night Three, Cody’s woken up by his comm. Rex is in the bed next to him, his general isn’t his general, and Dooku is dead. Whoever wants him, it isn’t an emergency. He turns over, intending to fall back asleep. His comm chirrups again.

Rex growls, the promise of violence as soon as he’s awake enough for it, and Cody groans and plucks his comm off his nightstand. He blinks twice before he can make out the words in the message.

_ Sorry for the wake-up, need to talk. -Bail _

Cody rolls out of bed and pads into the common room. They’ve been giving Master quarters which means a common room, a small kitchen, and two bedrooms. Rather than a Master-Padawan pair, they fit four troopers, but it’s still better than being out in the field. 

Cody comms the Senator back. There’s the familiar crackle which means they’ve connected. “What’s wrong?”

“It’s not a battle emergency,” Senator Organa says, clearly trying to alleviate the worst of Cody’s worries. “But I need help with Obi-Wan. He won’t listen to me.”

Cody rubs his forehead. It’s clearly important for Senator Organa to be awake at this hour and wake Cody up at this hour. He thinks longingly of his bed and then sighs. “I’ll be there as soon as I can.”

He gets into his armor quickly and quietly. Rex doesn’t stir which means he’s gone back to sleep. Cody leaves a note in case he isn’t back when Rex wakes up and then heads out of the Temple to find out what’s gone wrong this time.

Senator Organa himself opens the door when Cody arrives. There’s tired circles around his eyes, and he covers a yawn as he waves Cody in. “I apologize for the summons, but he doesn’t trust me.”

Cody’s curiosity only grows. He follows Senator Organa to the living room where Obi-Wan is seated on the couch, the caf-table covered in flimsi and datapads and actual paper books. Obi-Wan’s practically vibrating with a mix of fury and determination and exhaustion. Cody’s seen him like this a handful of times. He usually solved it with a wrestling match. Winner got to name bedtime. On one occasion, he had to call in a medic in order to make his general sleep. He doubts either of those strategies will work tonight.

Obi-Wan bolts up when he sees Cody, and he attaches himself to Cody’s side as he glares at Senator Organa. 

“Tea?” Senator Organa asks. “Caf? Something stronger?”

“A cup of tea would be nice,” Cody answers even though he doesn’t really care for it. He’ll take a sip and pass it off to Obi-Wan and maybe the familiar drink will settle him. 

Senator Organa goes into the kitchen and returns with two mugs. One is tea for Cody. The other is caf, and Cody suspects there’s a little extra something in it. Whatever project Obi-Wan’s thrown himself into, he’s done so with an intensity that few can keep up with. Even Cody with all of his enhancements has trouble keeping pace when his general is like this. 

Cody takes a sip of his tea to test the temperature. It’s hot but not burning. The taste doesn’t appeal to him, but he’s had it enough to recognize it as one of the general’s favorites. He offers the mug to Obi-Wan.

The boy scowls up at him. “Tea is gross. It’s your own fault for asking for it.”

Cody’s bucket is tucked under his arm which means Obi-Wan can see the way his eyebrow arches. 

Obi-Wan flushes. “That was rude. I’m sorry.”

“You don’t like tea?” Cody asks, curious. 

“It’s dirty leaf water.” Obi-Wan pauses, too perceptive for his own good. “He likes tea, doesn’t he?”

“Yes.”

“It’s probably self-defense. Master Jinn is a  _ collector _ .” Obi-Wan huffs with fond irritation. And then his expression shutters. “Was.” He glares at the mug in Cody’s hand. “Maybe he learned to like it out of self-preservation. It would be hard to be Master Jinn’s padawan and not like tea.”

Or maybe it was a habit his general picked up after his master died, a way to connect them. Cody glances at Senator Organa who drags a hand down his face. Cody sets the mug down on a side table where they can forget about it. “I didn’t come here for tea.”

Obi-Wan, reminded of his purpose, glowers at Senator Organa. “He won’t introduce the citizenship bill.”

Ah. The mess on the table does look familiar now that Cody takes a closer look. He’s known about his general’s project for months. He’s heartened by Obi-Wan’s belief in the Republic and his desire to do right by Cody and his brothers, but Senator Organa is right in his position. It’s the same one Cody’s general has, grudgingly, agreed to.

“You know.” Senator Organa sounds more curious than surprised. “Did he tell you?”

“No. He keeps it a secret, because he doesn’t want the brothers to get our hopes up.” Just another way their general tries to protect them. “But I’m his right-hand. There are few actual secrets between us. I know about the project, but he doesn’t know I know.”

“What?” Obi-Wan steps back, betrayed by Cody taking Senator Organa’s side. “This should be on the floor right now. You should be free!” He grabs a pad off the table and thrusts it at Cody. “This is a requisition report for more troops. It’s on the same sheet as requesting more blasters and more rations. You’re people! You aren’t--” 

Cody eases the pad from Obi-Wan’s hands before he breaks it. “Right now, the clones are commissioned property of the Republic.” It hurts to say, but it’s a deep familiar ache, a bruise which he hopes will one day fade. “I agree, it’s wrong. So does Senator Organa and so does General Kenobi. You can see the plan in place.”

“It’s too slow.” The anger drains out of Obi-Wan but the fight is still there. 

“We have to win the war first,” Cody says. He’s never discussed this with either his general or Senator Organa, but being General Kenobi’s commander means he’s picked up on the nuances of politics and diplomacy. “If we become citizens while the war is still going then the monetary and casualty cost of the war becomes too high. There won’t be enough votes.”

“It’s not fair,” Obi-Wan says.

“I know.” This is his life, his brother’s lives which are being discussed, weighed, placed on hold. They wouldn’t exist if not for the war, but they deserve to exist for something beyond it. 

“We don’t have the votes right now,” Senator Organa says softly. “We’re building a coalition, but Commander Cody is right. The Republic won’t risk losing the war by granting citizenship now.”

Obi-Wan glares. “I don’t know why Commander Cody trusts you. You’re a senator who doesn’t believe in democracy. Rights for some isn’t freedom.”

Senator Organa accepts the blow with a weary sigh. He falls into his armchair, not quite a collapse but not a controlled sit either. Cody admonishes Obi-Wan with a flick to his ear. “I don’t know Senator Organa. You asked me to bring you a senator who he trusts. There is no one in the Senate he trusts more. They’re friends, they’re allies, they’re architects,” Cody gestures to the bill in progress. 

“I hate him.”

Cody startles at the word as much as at the well of emotion behind it. He isn’t a Jedi expert, but he knows the word hate is a taboo. It’s a promise of the dark side and even though he doesn’t understand it, he knows it’s a red flag. From the jut of Obi-Wan’s chin, he intended to cause a splash. 

“Are you going to report me to the Council?” Obi-Wan demands. “Maybe they’ll slap Force cuffs on me to keep me from being a danger. Or maybe they’ll claim Jedi jurisdiction and remove me from Senator Organa and force me to touch the orb. They warned me about Falling. Maybe they were right. Maybe I’m too emotional, too angry and impulsive and scared, but they’re liars and hypocrites. They care more about this war than the people in it. It’s wrong. Everything is wrong!”

He pushes away from Cody but doesn’t go far. Cody allows him his distance as he runs through his training for something that can help him here. General Skywalker sometimes had temper tantrums, how did General Kenobi respond to them? 

“You look like Jango Fett! Why would the disgraced Mand’alor who hates Jedi agree to a clone army for the Jedi? Millions of his--of his  _ sons _ marching into battle for the Jedi? Dying for them?” Obi-Wan shakes his head. “That’s hell for him, why would he want it?”

“Money,” Cody answers but it doesn’t sound right.

“Did they tell you about Galidraan?” Obi-Wan asks. He shakes his head. “Of course they didn’t.” He spots Senator Organa’s flinch and his smile sharpens. “You know. Whispers, right?”

“It was a tragic mistake,” Senator Organa says. 

“The Jedi were given bad intelligence, and they didn’t dig deep enough before they dropped in, ‘sabers ignited.” Obi-Wan turns toward Cody. “Jango Fett killed five Jedi with his bare hands before they subdued him. He was one of only two survivors. His people were slaughtered by Jedi, and Mandalore has been in constant struggle since, terrorists against pacifists. Do you know who contracted Fett to be your progenitor? Dooku. The Jedi who was responsible for Galidraan. The  _ Sith  _ who led the droids against Fett’s army.”

Senator Organa looks like he’d collapse if he weren’t already sitting down. Cody finds a chair of his own before his legs give out. “Fuck.”

“Something is wrong,” Obi-Wan says and Cody’s beginning to believe him. “Why would Dooku be involved in both sides of the war? Why would Fett help the Jedi?”

“He was there in the beginning.” Cody scrubs his hands through his hair. “He taught the command batches. He taught us about Mandalore and the  _ resol'nare _ . He spoke of a home for us after the war. I figured it was motivational shit but maybe he meant it.”

“It would be one way to bring back the True Mandalorians.” Senator Organa taps his armest. “He saw Dooku’s deal as a way to get the people and funds to restore his vision of Mandalore. A deal with a Sith, but one he thought was worth it?”

_ Jedi killer _ . It’s what Obi-Wan thought he was because of his face. He and his brothers are led by the Jedi, but it wasn’t the Jedi who created them. It was a Sith, a bounty hunter, and who knows what else. Something stirs in his head.  _ Good soldiers follow orders. The Jedi are traitors to the Republic _ . That voice isn’t his. Those thoughts aren’t his. 

“He would’ve had a back-up plan,” Obi-Wan says. “Jango Fett was the Mand’alor. It isn’t a title they hand out lightly. He was a brilliant tactician and strategist, and he had years of hatred and revenge burning inside of him.”

_ Good soldiers follow orders _ . But whose orders? “How did the Jedi miss this?” Cody asks. Why did no one question a Jedi army with the face of a Jedi killer? Were they that desperate? And then he remembers Geonosis. They were discovered and then they were deployed. The Jedi  _ were _ desperate and ever since his brothers’ boots hit the ground there’s been no respite, no time to question.

“There was an army when the Jedi needed it most,” Senator Organa says, echoing Cody’s thoughts. “Why question what the Force provides?”

“Shit.” Cody stares at the datapads on the table. What’s happening here has gone far beyond a pet citizenship project. They’re questioning the Senate, they’re questioning the Jedi. This could be considered treason.  _ The Jedi are traitors to the Republic _ . Cody squeezes his eyes shut.

“Commander?” 

Cody chuckles quietly at the senator. “I believe we’re now conspiring. There’s no need for titles. Call me Cody.”

“And you should call me Bail. I’m going to make a fresh pot of caf. Are you sure you don’t want some?”

“I’ll get it,” Obi-Wan says. He disappears into the kitchen, giving Cody and Bail a moment to come to terms with the weight of this development. 

“Why would a Separatist general be playing both sides of the war?” Bail asks. 

“A Separatist wouldn’t,” Cody answers. “But a Sith might.”

“This is very much above my pay grade,” Bail says. “If this is a Sith plot and not a Separatist plot, we need help. But the Jedi are either ignorant or complicit. Who do we trust?”

There’s one obvious answer, but Cody won’t be the first to say it. Obi-Wan returns with a tray containing caf, a bottle of whiskey, and a plate of cookies. He sets it down and then turns to Cody. “Do you need him back?”

Cody told the Council he would not ask Obi-Wan to become General Kenobi again for them, because he knew Obi-Wan would do it. This here is the proof. If he says yes, he knows Obi-Wan would sneak into the Temple vaults and find the sister orb. Part of him wants to. This would go smoother with his general and his wealth of experience at his side. 

“I will not take this choice from you,” Cody says. “Besides, it was you, not him who put the pieces together.”

“Fresh perspective,” Bail agrees. “Speaking of,” he covers another yawn. “We should all be in bed. The horrors of the galaxy will be waiting for us when we wake up. Can I trust we’re in agreeance on tabling the citizenship bill?”

Obi-Wan nods. “Will you stay?” he asks Cody.

“It’s too risky. We’ll touch base when you come for your Council meeting.”

“Be careful,” Obi-Wan says, and Cody sees the same sentiment reflected in Bail’s eyes. 

Cody takes his leave and returns to the Temple but not to his room. Something is wrong, and now that he’s aware, he can feel the weight of it looming above him, waiting for the right string to snap so it will plummet and crush him. 

He goes to one of the training salles and sets the training droids to their hardest setting. 

Two hours later, he limps to his temporary quarters. He took a blaster bolt to the leg, and he cut his head after he lost his bucket. He’s fortunate that even high powered training droids can’t kill or he’d probably be dead. 

His brothers are sitting at the table eating when he staggers in. 

Rex takes one look at him and the air around him goes cold. “You told me there was nothing to worry about.”

Cody winces and then groans as it pulls the healing skin on his head. He’s probably bleeding again. “In my defense, it was true when I left. My walk didn’t clear my head so I went to the salles.” He holds up a hand to forestall any yelling. “Help me to Kix.”

If anything, Rex looks even more worried. “You’re willingly seeing a healer?”

“Please,” Cody says. 

#

Rex hovers as Cody settles himself onto the medbed. Kix does a quick scan and frowns at the results. “You took quite a beating. Nothing we can’t fix up, but you’re supposed to be on leave, Commander.”

York is stationed by the door, on high alert ever since Cody commed him and requested his presence. He beckons York forward.

“Sir?” York asks.

“I want a scramble on this room. The best we have.”

York doesn’t ask, but Rex’s eyebrows convey plenty of questions. He at least waits until York gives a nod. “What the fuck, Cody?”

Kix makes a strangled sound, but Cody waves it off. “My head hurts.”

“Your head hurts?” Rex demands. “It’s about to hurt a lot fucking more.”

This is a gamble, but without trust there is no help and without help they cannot win. “I want all of the scans you can think of and the ones you can’t, and I want no record of them.”

“Commander?” Kix asks. He glances at Rex as if waiting for something to make sense.

“There’s a voice in my head that isn’t mine.” Cody grits his teeth and knows this could very well end with him losing command. With him losing himself if the wrong people hear and send him back to Kamino. “I want you to check.”

“For voices?” Kix asks.

“For anything. And if nothing’s there, I will ask the Jedi if it’s a Force thing. Maybe they can teach me how to shield. I can’t fix the problem until I know what it is and where it’s coming from.”

“Voices?” Rex’s tone is softer now, worried. “What do they say?”

_ Good soldiers follow orders. The Jedi are traitors to the Republic. Eliminate them _ . Cody shakes his head. “I am trusting you.”

“You’re scaring me,” Rex says, but he removes his gauntlet so he can clasps Cody’s hand in his. “We’ll figure this out. Though I’d feel better knowing General Kenobi was here to have your back.”

“I don’t think we’re getting General Kenobi back.” Cody admits. He likes the kid, but he misses his general. 

Kix attaches some nodes to Cody’s head, working as they talk. 

“Skywalker’s already toeing the edge,” Rex says. “He needs Kenobi to keep him from tumbling off.”

Cody shrugs. “Obi-Wan’s stubborn and he’s scared and he doesn’t trust the Council. The more they push him, the more he’ll hold his ground.”

“He’d do it if you asked,” Rex says. 

“I know.”

“Does the Council know?”

“I told them I wouldn’t.”

_ Good soldiers follow orders _ .

“Hey!” Kix interrupts them. “What did you just do? Something flashed that wasn’t supposed to flash. Do it again, and I’ll try to pinpoint it.”

“I don’t know how,” Cody admits.

“You’re pretty damn high on the chain of command, but that’s the Jedi Council,” Rex says. “They could make you.”

“They could order it, and I would refuse.”

_ Good soldiers follow orders _ .

“Shit, shit, shit, keep doing that,” Kix says, fingers flying over his monitor. 

Rex, who didn’t become captain by mistake, grips Cody’s hand tighter. “Are you going rogue, Cody?”

_ Good soldiers follow orders _ .

“We were made for the Jedi,” Rex reminds him. “When they say jump, we ask how high.”

_ The Jedi are traitors to the Republic.  _

“What if I’m tired of jumping?” Cody asks. 

Rex’s expression falters for a moment, before he squeezes Cody’s hand. “I guess this is why you asked for the scramble. When you go rogue, you  _ really  _ go rogue. Is it because of Kenobi?”

“He’s the only one I trust to lead us.”

_ The Jedi are traitors to the Republic _ .

“I saw your orders. They’re reassigning the 212th if they don’t get Kenobi back. Your week is almost up. You can’t refuse to go.”

_ Good soldiers follow orders _ .

“What if I’m not a good soldier?” Cody asks.

“You are,” Rex says. He leans in, only for Kix to growl before he can touch their foreheads together. “Cody,  _ vod _ , you’re the best of us.”

“A perfect clone for a perfect Jedi.” Laughter bubbles up in Cody’s throat. 

“What are you doing to him?” It’s Rex’s turn to growl and he lets go of Cody to turn on Kix, but York tackles him before he can. There’s the sounds of a fight, and Kix hums nervously to himself as Cody remains flat on the table. 

“Hurry,” Cody says.

“I’m trying. There’s definitely something there. I think I’ve finally isolated where it is, but I still don’t have the what. Rex, I will throw you in solitary if you fuck up my readings.”

“I’ll send you marching if you fuck up my brother!” 

“ _ Our  _ brother,” York says. There’s a strain to his words as if his fight with Rex is taking a lot out of him. “We’re on the same side.”

_ The Jedi are traitors to the Republic. Eliminate the threat _ .

“Okay!” Kix’s cry halts the wrestling match and quiets the voice in Cody’s head. “Okay, I found it. I think. It’s a tiny slip of something. I don’t know what it is but it doesn’t belong.”

“And it’s in my head?” Cody asks.

“It’s in your head,” Kix confirms.

“Can you get it out?”

“We don’t even know what it is and you’re jumping to brain surgery?” Kix demands. 

“It’s in my _ brain _ ?” Cody breaks out in a cold sweat. There’s a voice and it’s in his head but it’s worse than that because it’s in his brain and it doesn’t belong and what if--what if he  _ listens  _ to the voice?

_ The Jedi are traitors to the Republic. Eliminate the threat _ .  _ Good soldiers follow orders _ .

Cody makes a sound, one they all know too well, and Rex has a bucket in front of him in time for Cody to throw up. It takes him a few minutes to finish, dry heaving before he brings his body back under control. 

“I want to do some more scans,” Kix says. He sounds shaky. “But if it can remove it safely, I will. How much time do we have?”

Cody glances at his chrono and swears. “I’m going to be late for my meeting with the Council.”

“Call out sick?” Rex offers, half-serious.

It’s tempting, but he can’t allow for any suspicion. “It’s the only time I’m allowed to see Obi-Wan.” Cody hands the foul smelling bucket to York. “Kix, free me. I’ll be back as soon as I’m able.”

“I’ll stay here,” York says. “Make sure we eliminate the evidence. Comm us if there’s trouble.”

#

Cody’s late but he doesn’t miss Obi-Wan and Bail, because they’re both waiting for him outside the Council Chambers along with General Windu. Cody’s glad for his helmet because it means they can’t see his grimace.

“You weren’t in the Temple,” General Windu says.

“I couldn’t sleep,” Cody answers. “I went to the training salles and overextended myself. I went to  _ The Resolute  _ for a patch up. I didn’t want to waste Temple resources.”

“You’re hurt?” Obi-Wan asks. He hurries over and runs his hands over Cody’s armor. Cody feels a warm tingle where he was injured, but it only lasts a moment, because General Windu clears his throat.

“You are not a Jedi, Obi-Wan.”

“Can I apprentice with a healer?” Obi-Wan asks.

“Apprentice?” Rex asks. “Your plan is to do it all over again?”

“Better this time,” Obi-Wan says. 

“We can’t afford to wait for you,” Rex says, blunt in the way that makes him a good match for General Skywalker. The two of them, once they decide on the right path, gods help anyone who is in their way. “The war is  _ now _ . Touch the orb and become General Kenobi again.”

“Captain,” Cody says but Rex brushes him aside. Up on  _ The Resolute _ , Cody tolerated it, but he won’t here. “ _ Captain  _ Rex, you are out of line.”

Rex snaps to attention, bristling, but obedient. “Sir, General Kenobi is your direct general, but he oversees our whole group. We need him back.”

Senator Organa places a hand on the small of Obi-Wan’s back. “It’s time to go, Obi-Wan.” He’s gentle with his charge, saving his anger for the glare he turns on General Windu. “You said you wouldn’t do this.”

“Commander Cody said he wouldn’t request his general’s return, but he isn’t the only trooper under General Kenobi’s command. Commander Cody, if you would come inside, we want to discuss the 212th’s first deployment. General Vos is still searching for Grievous, but he has a trail to follow. It’s only a matter of time.”

The door shuts behind them, but Cody knows General Windu said enough in earshot of Obi-Wan. The boy’s going to wrestle with his duty again. Cody’s glad for his bucket and voice moderator so he doesn’t sound as angry as he feels when he speaks. “That was unfair, General Windu.”

General Windu sighs as he takes his seat. “We threw out fair a long time ago. You and I both know General Vos is going to find Grievous, and we both know it’ll be the 212th sent after him. What I want to know is whether you’ll have General Kenobi leading you.”

“It’ll be a slaughter if we don’t.” It still might be even if they do have the general. 

“Obi-Wan has already lived his life.” General Mundi speaks from his holo as do most of the Council members. “He does not get to do it again.”

“Difficult, this is,” Master Yoda says. “But done, it must be.”

“I will fight your war for you,” Cody says, staring steadily at the aged Jedi. “I will lead my brothers into battle, I will sit in vigil when they’re hurt, and I will recite their names in memory when they don’t come back. But I will not do this. If you want General Kenobi, you have to convince Obi-Wan yourself.”

“Drop the orb on him,” General Mundi mutters.

“And if he remembers this time?” General Rancisis asks.

As if this isn’t the first time they’ve debated changing Obi-Wan by force. As if the only thing holding them back is concern General Kenobi would hold it against them. Cody’s lips twitch behind his helmet. As if he would. General Kenobi understands the greater good, it’s why he’s so willing to sacrifice himself. He might be hurt, might feel betrayed if the Council forced the change on him, but he wouldn’t hold a grudge. He’d accept the pain as he’s accepted all the others and he’d move on.

_ Good soldiers follow orders _ .

“If we don’t have General Kenobi, who do we assign to the 212th?” General Windu asks.

“We could shift Anakin to the 212th and give Ahsoka the 501st,” General Tiin suggests, but she shakes her head even as she says it. “Give Ahsoka to the 212th with Commander Cody in charge and keep Anakin with the 501st?”

Both are equally poor choices.

“Together, master and padawan shall stay,” Master Yoda says. He taps his stick on the floor as he thinks. “Replace General Kenobi, we cannot. Replace parts of him, we must.”

“Quinlan doesn’t have his own force,” General Windu says.

“Because he isn’t that kind of fighter.” General Rancisis shakes his head at the idea. “He’s stealth, he’s recon, he’s guerilla if we need him to fight, but he isn’t the general of a battalion.”

Cody settles himself in for a long discussion of what to do.


	8. Chapter 8

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Well...this is the end. Extra long chapter because I couldn't find a good place to split it.
> 
> I just wanted to say thank you for all of your overwhelming support. My knowledge of canon is minimal, and I was honestly a little worried at posting my first Star Wars fic, but you all were incredible so thank you.

Cody leaves the Council Chambers, disquieted by how out of their depth they are. He knows there is no replacement for General Kenobi, Yoda was right on that. But they can’t even manage to fill some of his responsibilities. Who is to take command of the whole division? Who is going to lead the 212th itself? Who’s going to keep Skywalker in line? 

There are no options.

Maybe... _ no _ . He promised Obi-Wan he wouldn’t ask. 

His comm chirps with a dozen messages when he turns it on. Before he can begin checking, Rex grabs his arm and hauls him toward the shipyard. 

Cody rips himself free. “Are you trying to get decommissioned?” 

“Yell at me later. Kix wants a follow-up.”

Shit.

Cody doesn’t bother with his messages. They’ll all be cryptic bullshit. The two of them don’t say anything as they make the trip up to  _ The Resolute _ . The silence continues until they reach the medbay. It’s Kix who opens for them. He ushers them inside and shuts the door before re-setting the jammer.

“Where’s--” Cody’s question dies in his mouth as he spots York on the operating table. “What the fuck?”

Kix throws his hands up, either in surrender or as a blockade, but either way it keeps Rex and Cody where they are. “Will you promise to listen before you fly off the handle?”

“Yes,” Cody says.

Rex’s grudging agreement comes a beat later. 

Kix takes a deep breath and ushers them over. York is asleep, a shaved patch of his head exposing a neat line of stitches. Cody opens his mouth but Kix holds up a hand. “You promised.”

Shit. Cody sits heavily in the chair next to York’s bed. He clasps his brother’s hand in both of his and bows his head over it. “Tell me.”

“You freaked us out,” Kix says. “After you two left, York asked me to run the same scan on him. There was no flashing, but I remembered where your abnormality was. He had one too.”

“Had?” Cody asks.

Kix holds out a metal tray with a tiny sliver of something in it. “He knew you wanted yours out. He told me to do it on him first in case we needed them to live or something. You aren’t allowed to yell at him when he wakes up, Commander. He did what any brother would do.”

“Do we know what it is?”

Kix shrugs. “It’s data storage of some kind, but I don’t have anything that can read it.”

“Data storage?” Rex asks.

_ The Jedi are traitors to the Republic. Eliminate the traitors. _ Cody doesn’t allow himself to be sick again. “I’m taking it with me. And as soon as York’s in the clear, you’re taking mine out.”

“Commander--” Kix’s protest is interrupted when Rex lays down in the bed next to York’s. “Scan me.”

Kix shakes his head. “You don’t think…” He trails off, but Cody doesn’t pick up the thought. 

Did Jango make them to kill the Jedi, his final revenge? Did the Sith? Does it even matter? If that tiny chip can control them, he bets there’s one in every brother. How do they get them out without attracting attention? He takes a deep breath. They don’t even know what the chip is yet. First, identify the problem. Then, solve it.

“Shit,” Kix says and Cody’s stomach plummets. 

“I’ve got it too?” Rex asks. 

“I think it’s safe to assume we all have it,” Cody answers. “Is Echo on board? If there’s anyone who can figure out weird tech, it’s him.” He glances at Kix and Rex. “I know this is a lot to ask, but this stays quiet. Just us.”

“What do you think is on that?” Kix asks.

“What did it whisper to you?” Rex wants to know.

“We’re bringing in Echo but no one else,” Cody says. “No Jedi.”

Rex sits up, ripping the nodes off his skin. “Now would be a damn good time to have your Jedi on board.”

Cody peers at the tiny chip again. “I want Echo to take a look at this. If it’s what I think, I will bring the orb to Obi-Wan myself.”

“Oh, fuck,” Rex says. 

#

They crowd around Echo as he analyzes the chip. Cody didn’t tell him what it is or where they found it. He just handed it over and asked him what he thought. Echo clearly knows something’s up, because Rex is pacing, Kix is fretting, and York is still unconscious on the medbed. 

“Anything yet?” Cody asks. 

Echo glances up from his study. “All due respect, sir, you’re making me nervous.”

Cody moves to York’s side and takes up vigil there. Rex’s boots continue to click with each step he takes. He could walk silently, the fact that he’s not means he’s proving some kind of point. 

York wakes up which is a welcome distraction. Kix hovers over him instead, and Cody asks what each of the results mean. 

“He’s good,” Kix says. “Perfectly healthy.”

“This is weird,” Echo says and everyone’s attention shifts again. Kix is so distracted he doesn’t even scold York from moving off his bed. “This is a list of orders.”

“Orders?” Rex stops his pacing. 

“Yeah, like stand down, target Dooku--don’t need that one anymore, heh--oh.” Echo looks over at Cody. “Commander, this is bad.”

“The Jedi are traitors to the Republic?” Cody guesses.

Echo’s eyes are wide. “Eliminate the threat. Order 66. Commander, what is this?”

York touches the neat line of stitches on his head. 

“Keep reading,” Cody says, refusing to let panic overtake him. If he starts panicking, he won’t stop. “Is there anything else we can use?”

“Protect the supreme chancellor. It… _ shit _ .” Echo tosses the chip on the ground as if it’s a live grenade. No, he’s too well-trained for that. He tosses it like it’s Crys’s codpiece. “Why would the Chancellor want to kill the Jedi? Why would he want any of this? What is this?”

Cody sits heavily on York’s medbed. “It’s a control chip. And it’s in every one of our heads.”

Silence meets his proclamation. 

It’s Rex who breaks it by slamming his fist into the wall. 

“No,” Cody says, because Rex can’t fall apart. If they fall apart, they lose. They need to be rational, they need to be in control, and they need a plan. 

Rex grabs Kix. “I want it out of me. Now. No one controls me.”

Kix looks over at Cody, his eyes wide. 

Cody takes one deep breath and then another. If the Chancellor is behind this, they need to be careful. If they spook him before the chips are out of all the brothers’ heads...Cody takes another breath. “Okay. We’re going to leave this room long enough for Rex to comm General Windu and tell him he’s locking me in a room until I agree to help them with their Kenobi problem. And then we’re locking ourselves in here until Kix has de-chipped each of us.”

“And then?” Rex prompts.

“And then, once I don’t have a fucking control chip in my head, we’ll plan on how to save the rest of us. We’re soldiers, and we’re damn good ones, but we choose what orders we follow.”

#

When Cody comes to, he only has a moment to wonder how long he’s expected to stay in bed for before Kix comes over. 

“It was a success with all three of you. You’re the first awake.”

“How long until I can move around?”

Normally, Kix would scold him for being a difficult patient, but this isn’t a normal situation. Kix hands Cody a ration bar. “Eat this and then I’ll let you walk around the room and then we’ll evaluate again.”

“Do you want me to read in another medic?” Cody asks. “None of us can de-chip you.”

“Discuss it with your Jedi first. I don’t like the idea of it in me.” Kix’s expression is horrified at best. “But I can wait until you have a plan. I know the importance of doing this right.”

Cody glances at Rex, his expression still hard even while unconscious and at Echo looking frail on his medbed. “We will do right by our brothers.”

#

Once Rex and Echo are awake, they reiterate the importance of keeping this a secret and then Cody goes to Coruscant on his own. He passes through the Temple easily and part of him wonders if no one gets in his way because the Council cleared the path to the vaults. 

It’s almost an insult to his skills how easy it is to retrieve the orb and put it in in his pack. He feels guilty tucking it away. He promised he wouldn’t ask Obi-Wan to do this but with what they discovered about the chips...He’ll tell Obi-Wan about the chips and then let him decide. Bringing the orb will simply make things quicker if he says yes and help sell the cover story to General Windu. 

If. Cody scoffs. He knows what Obi-Wan’s reaction will be. And yet, he has to do this. They will lose the war if he doesn’t. The Jedi will die. He and his brothers will lose themselves. 

He shows up at Bail’s apartments far later than is polite, and the protocol droid scolds him for it. Cody slams his fist on its head and it whirs at him before spinning away.

“Well,” Bail says, tying a sash around his robe. “I suppose I don’t have to ask if you’ve come with good news.”

Obi-Wan meets them in the living room in a robe of his own. It’s clearly one of Bail’s because it’s too big on him and far nicer than Obi-Wan would ever allow himself to own. Cody thrusts his hand toward Obi-Wan, the tiny chip resting in the palm of his hand.

“What is it?” Obi-Wan asks.

Cody glances at Bail and waits for the nod which means the jammer is running before he answers. “It’s a control chip. They were implanted in our heads.”

“Oh gods,” Bail says. 

“There are orders on there. Orders which, once issued, we’d have to follow.”

“What kinds of orders?” Bail asks.

“Order 66 is to kill all Jedi on sight.”

Bail grows pale. 

“They demand obedience to the Supreme Chancellor. These chips will make us betray our Jedi. They’ll turn us into meat clankers. Me, Rex, York, and Echo are de-chipped. Kix knows about it, but none of us could remove his. We need a plan. They cannot remain in the troopers’ heads, but we can’t spook the Chancellor.”

Bail drags a hand down his face. He isn’t outright panicking, but he looks overwhelmed. Cody understands the feeling. They need someone steady, someone who can stand in the midst of a storm and hold their ground. 

“I’ll take the orb now,” Obi-Wan says. 

“What?” Bail asks. 

Cody doesn’t pretend he didn’t bring it with him. “You don’t have to.”

“You need him.”

Cody pulls the cloth-wrapped orb from his bag. If Obi-Wan is offering then Cody isn’t breaking his promise. Right? 

Obi-Wan unwraps the orb. It’s a dark red, almost black around the edges. “If I don’t remember what’s happened during this period, I expect you to tell me.” He looks toward Bail. “Thank you for being a friend to me during this time. And you, Cody. Thank you for allowing me to be me.” He offers them a teary smile before he places his hands on the orb.

There’s a bright flash of light, Cody should have remembered this from last time and shut his eyes. When he can see again, General Kenobi is sitting in front of him in Bail Organa’s dressing robe. Cody’s never been so glad to see his general’s beard before in his life. 

“So,” General Kenobi says. “Chancellor Palpatine is the Sith master, and there’s a control chip in every brother’s head.” He clasps his hands in front of him. “Let’s plan.”

#

General Kenobi is working things out on the Jedi side. He told Cody the broad strokes of what he’s going to do, in part because it overlaps with Cody’s mission, and in part because this is how they work best, collaboratively, no secrets between them. There wasn’t even a second where Cody believed his general knew about the chips. They would have been removed or disabled long before now.

His general hadn’t known, Cody hadn’t known, but now they both know, and they’re going to make this right. How his general is going to convince almost the entire population of the Jedi Temple to take a tour of  _ The Resolute _ , Cody isn’t quite sure, but knows he will. They don’t call him the Negotiator for nothing. He’s sure by the end of General Kenobi’s speech, the masters and knights will volunteer to carry the crechelings to the infamous battleship for a tour.

Cody has the more difficult job. Because while his general is working the Jedi side, he’s working the vod side. His first conversation is the easier of the two. He preps Ghost Company for what might be their final mission and promises a more detailed debrief once General Kenobi meets up with them. 

And then he seeks out Rex.

“Repeat that,” Rex demands, the tremor in his hands the only hint of the anger bubbling under his skin.

“You’re in charge of the de-chipped brothers outside of Ghost.”

“On  _ The Resolute _ .” Rex’s voice is emotionless and there’s sign number two.

Cody’s seen Rex rip droids apart with his bare hands when he’s reached this level of fury. He’s seen him go toe-to-toe with Skywalker and almost win. The fact that Rex has given him two, obvious, warnings is a sign of respect. If it were any other circumstance, Cody would heed the signs and back down.

But this isn’t any other circumstance. General Kenobi is going to lead Ghost Company and the Jedi High Council against the Chancellor of the Republic who also happens to be a Sith lord. If they’re successful...well, Cody isn’t pushing Rex because he’s planning for success. If they fail,  _ The Resolute  _ will be the only safe place in the galaxy for Jedi.

He knows how many brothers are on the ship, knows it isn’t nearly enough, but they can’t risk de-chipping more. He and General Kenobi sat in Bail’s apartment and discussed it with hollow practicality. The only reason Cody didn’t punch his general as he explained how they couldn’t risk de-chipping more brothers is because his general also said they couldn’t warn any of the Jedi for the same reason. The more people who knew what could happen, the more likely it would happen. 

If they fail, Jedi and brothers alike will suffer. 

“Correct,” Cody says. 

“I belong with you.” Rex’s anger turns briefly to passion, not quite pleading, but it skirts that edge as well. 

There is no brother Cody would trust more at his side, but if this goes badly, they can’t afford to lose them both. Maybe Rex will never forgive Cody for being the one on the ground in this final confrontation, but he’ll live, and for that, Cody would make this same decision every time.

“You belong where you’re told to be,” Cody says, his own voice flat now, all his emotions carefully ironed out.

Rex’s spine stiffens as he recognizes the change. Anger flares up, a flash in his eyes, a curl to his lips. “Is that an  _ order _ ?”

Around them, brothers who don’t know the plan, stop and stare. Rex has never shown insubordination like this before, and even Cody, who knew this conversation wouldn’t go well, didn’t expect it to go this poorly.

“It is,” Cody replies evenly. “An order from the Marshall Commander of the 212th Attack Battalion and second-in-command to High General Obi-Wan Kenobi.”

A hush falls over the room. Cody’s never pulled rank like this before and honestly, he isn’t doing it now for the reasons they all think. Yes, this is an order. But it isn’t an insidious one, planted in their heads. It isn’t from Palpatine. It’s an order from Cody, from General Kenobi, people Rex can trust. 

“Well.” Rex’s mouth twists and Cody knows he won’t like what he has to say next. “Good soldiers always follow orders, don’t they Commander?”

Rex turns on his heel and stomps away. He misses Cody’s sharp inhale and the way his knees buckle before his body decides it will hold him up after all. The barb is deserved and it hits home, as all of Rex’s shots do. 

“Commander.” Wooley is at Cody’s side in a moment, and he shoots a dark look at Rex’s retreating back. “I can--”

“It’s fine,” Cody says which is a lie, because nothing is fine, but maybe, if he and General Kenobi finally have some fucking luck, it will be. “Prepare our company to move out.”

Kix and Sawbones are already up on  _ The Resolute _ , they’ve been working full time to get as many brothers de-chipped as possible, a mix of the 501st and the 212th. It was easy to spread the rumors of a virus going through the brothers, some kind of sickness born from the exhaustion and malnutrition of constant war. No one’s asking questions about why so many troopers have confined themselves to quarters for a few days.

It isn’t enough. 

Cody takes a slow, measured breath. Panic won’t help anything. There’s a select few on  _ The Resolute  _ who know about the chips. Rex is the commanding officer if anything happens to Cody, and he knows his brother is too angry to realize it now, but he had to be the one. If the Republic falls and the Jedi are ordered to be executed, Rex is the one who will shelter the survivors. Maybe one day he would even strike out against Palpatine’s vision of the future and win.

The whole Ghost Company knows. It’s integral to General Kenobi’s plan. It means Wooley knows the meaning behind Rex’s words, knows how they were intended to hurt. He and Rex will patch things up later. For now, there’s one final mission to carry out.

#

General Kenobi leads the Jedi High Council and Ghost Company from the Temple to the Chancellor’s seat of power. Even though they’re on Coruscant, it’s unmistakable that this is General Kenobi and not Master Kenobi or Councilor Kenobi. His strides through the halls of the senate are long, purposeful, eating up distance as he pursues his goal with single-minded focus.

They don’t encounter a single spot of resistance. There are plenty of senators, aides, even droids who take note of their procession, but no one stops them. Cody’s curious, wonders if Palpatine is that confident in his own abilities, Cody’s fought against Grievous, against Dooku, he’s seen the footage of Maul against Kenobi and Jinn. They were all opponents strengthened by the dark side, but none of them faced a contingent like this. 

It is General Kenobi who throws open the doors to the senate floor. Palpatine, who is apparently more dramatic than Skywalker and Kenobi put together, hovers above them in his pod. He’s about twenty feet in front of them, five feet above them, enough to make him seem as though he’s standing at a podium. As if he’s a god, amused as those who seek to defy him. 

His smile is sickly sweet. There are lines, deep wrinkles on his face there weren’t there before. He knows why they’ve come. There won’t be any element of surprise. 

Chancellor Palpatine’s gaze seeks out Cody, finding him even though the brothers all wear their armor. Fear trickles down his spine. If Palpatine can pick him out of a line-up then he must have some kind of interest in Cody. Cody’s hand drops to his blaster, and the Sith lord’s smile grows. 

“Is this an invasion?” Chancellor Palpatine asks. “A coup?”

“You know what this is,” General Kenobi answers. He steps out in front of the line of Jedi, electing himself both spokesman and target. It is General Kenobi at the front, the rest of the Jedi in a line behind him, evenly spaced, and then behind them are the members of Ghost Company. 

“I thought you were a charmer,” Palpatine says. “Where are your manners,  _ Negotiator _ ?”

“Forgive me. Shall we start with introductions? I am, as you say, the Negotiator, but more commonly known as Obi-Wan Kenobi. Behind me are the illustrious members of the Jedi High Council, and behind them is Ghost Company, one of our best squads. And you? You’re Darth…” General Kenobi trails off, waiting for Palpatine to finish for him. 

Palpatine laughs and lightly claps his hands as if General Kenobi is a tooka performing a trick. “Darth Sidious. How did you find out?”

His open admittance isn’t a good sign. It means he doesn’t expect any of them to make it out of this room alive. There’s nervous shifting from the brothers and even some of the Jedi. It was one thing for General Kenobi to sit them down and lay out the evidence (he told Cody he brought a slide show) and quite another for the Sith lord to admit it himself. 

“Dooku told me,” General Kenobi answers. “I didn’t believe it at first, but once the evidence began piling up…” He trails off with a shrug. It’s the truth, in the briefing before they left he stressed how important the truth was once they were in a room with Palpatine. He would be able to sense lies, and the Force might even warn him of danger. 

Darth Sidious sighs. “Good help is so hard to find these days.”

“Enough.” General Kenobi pats his lightsaber as if to make sure it’s still clipped to his waist. “We are here to stop you. Will you surrender willingly?”

There’s a moment of silence, before Sidious throws his head back and  _ laughs _ . It’s a chilling, grating sound, like the scrape of armor against durasteel. Cody wants to raise his weapon, wants to fill the Sith in front of them with blaster bolts, but he holds his fire. They haven’t been given the order yet.

“No.” The laughter abruptly ends, and Darth Sidious finds Cody again, smiling as if responding to the thoughts in his head. 

“No?” General Kenobi affects confusion. “You will challenge us? I know the dark side offers temptations and delusions, but you can’t possibly believe you’re a match for all of us.”

“I don’t need to be,” Sidious responds cryptically. “You know, I planned for this confrontation occurring a few years from now. There are adjustments and sacrifices I will have to make.” His gaze slides to Skywalker who goes rigid at the attention. “You would have been a great asset. But what is it you’re so fond of saying? No battle plan survives contact with the enemy.”

General Kenobi shifts, placing himself firmly between Sidious and Skywalker. It doesn’t matter, because the Sith has the height advantage. It’s a show of support, and one Sidious laughs off. 

“Do you know how carefully I lined up the pieces to ensure when I brought about the end of the Jedi Order I would be cheered for it? I schemed, I planned, I calculated. And now you’ve marched in here with ‘sabers and blasters and done all my work for me. When you are dead, it will be pathetically easy to convince the Republic you were traitors. All those senators you walked by in the hall? They’ll testify against you. They might even cry. Your pride will be your downfall.”

Sidious taps his wrist, and activates his communicator. With a flick of his fingers, General Kenobi causes the thing to spark and hiss. 

“You!” Sidious snarls. He throws a hand out and blue lightning streaks out and hits General Kenobi straight on. The other Jedi draw their lightsabers but before any of them can even move, Sidious rasps, “Execute Order 66.”

As one, Cody and his brothers draw their weapons. They each put a target in their sights. The Jedi--the  _ traitors _ \--turn in confusion. Their eyes are wide, their confusion leaks into the Force. Ghost Company fires.

General Kenobi, empty handed as the lightning brings him to his knees, throws his hands forward. The blaster bolts pick up speed and bury themselves in their target before anyone else can react. 

Sidious falls to the floor of his pod, holes sizzling in his chest and head where he was hit with a full round. With Sidious down, the lightning ceases, and General Kenobi staggers to his feet. Ozone, blaster discharge, the rot of death all hang heavy in the air. Cody turns on the environmental controls on his bucket. Around him, his brothers do the same.

The Jedi Council use the Force to draw the Chancellor’s pod down to them. Master Yoda investigates the Sith’s body as the rest of the Council members hover, lightsabers still engaged, ready to react if needed. 

“Dead, he is,” Master Yoda proclaims. 

Cody figures he’s earned himself a moment or two of unprofessionalism and he sighs in relief. On the private channel, the rest of his company do the same or cheer. General Kenobi turns to him, the same relief on his face as there is on Cody’s. His hair, the wisps which aren’t tied back, dance in the air as if still charged with electricity. His smile freezes as his body tightens up, seizing for a moment before everything unclenches again and he falls to the floor. 

“Fuck,” General Kenobi says. He stays on his back, staring up at the ceiling. “I think there are lingering side effects to Force lightning.”

General Windu offers a hand to General Kenobi but he refuses to take it. He looks at Skywalker who seems confused for a moment before he offers his hand, the one covered in a glove. General Kenobi grasps it and allows Skywalker to help him to his feet. A moment later, his body is seized with another tremor. This one buckles his knees but doesn’t bring him down.

“To the Halls of Healing with you,” General Windu says. He looks back at Master Yoda and Sidious’s body. “But you’re going to give me a full explanation. You know what Order 66 is.”

“It’s how I knew Palpatine was the Sith lord.”

Skywalker frowns. “You said Dooku told you. It was the truth, I felt it.”

“Oh, Dooku did tell me.” General Kenobi grins, reveling in his pocket of chaos, which is the real sign everything is going to be alright. “On Geonosis, the first time, when we started the war. I didn’t believe him. I might have forgotten to mention that bit to Sidious.”

General Kenobi grins and allows Skywalker to shuffle him forward. It’s only a step, because then he turns back to Cody and the rest of Ghost Company. “Come with me. Please. I need to be evaluated, but--” he pauses, swallows back words Cody would give his favorite blaster to hear. “I want to thank you. And, for a small time at least, I need the reassurance you’re okay.”

Cody, who hasn’t spent all this time around Jedi, and his general in particular, and remained an idiot, opens his mental connection to the man. They don’t have a bond like him and Skywalker or even him and Vos, but Cody’s learned his general can pick up thoughts if they’re directed at him with enough force. 

_ We love you too _ .

General Kenobi’s shock would be funny except for the way it breaks Cody’s heart. This man who throws himself into danger headfirst, who will risk dying if it saves someone else a scratch, who loves fiercely and completely even if he won’t ever admit it, somehow doesn’t understand how much he’s loved in return. Or why.

“Halls of Healing,” Cody reminds him. He gestures and his company fall in line with him. They’ll escort their general there and stay by his side until he throws them out.

#

General Kenobi’s willingness to stay in the Halls is contingent on all important meetings happening there as well. He refuses to be kept out of the loop which means he has a live-feed of the ‘net as Coruscant and the wider galaxy digests the news of their Chancellor being a traitor. It’s Master Yoda and General Windu who are the face of the Jedi after they’ve been briefed on the full extent of Sidious’s plans.

General Kenobi, with Cody’s assistance, explained what Order 66 was. Due to the...everything which is suddenly happening all at once, General Windu ominously told General Kenobi there would be a full report required later, including why he withheld this information from the Council.

General Kenobi doesn’t seem too concerned which might be because there is finally some gods-damned hope in the galaxy or because Healer Che has given him the good drugs.

Once the Council clears out, it’s Ghost, the healers, and Skywalker remaining, and there’s no point in putting off the inevitable.

“We should contact  _ The Resolute _ ,” Cody says.

General Kenobi nods even as Skywalker’s face passes through a range of emotions. “ _ Ahsoka _ ,” he finally breathes. “You made her go with the others. She was so mad at me.”

“Better angry and alive than possibly dead,” General Kenobi says.

Cody understands that logic, but he’s not sure the others will.

#

Because General Kenobi insists on being a part of everything, the reunion takes place in his healing room. Commander Tano is accompanied by Rex, and while she’s annoyed at being told where to go, Rex’s fury hasn’t abated a bit. 

“Is it done?” Rex demands, his voice clipped.

Skywalker seems alarmed at Rex’s mood and then surprised he knows what happened, but Cody answers before the Jedi can. “It’s done.” He doesn’t say  _ we’re safe _ because it isn’t guaranteed yet, but it’s possible. It may even be likely.

“Then I resign my position in the GAR,” Rex says.

Skywalker’s mouth falls open and Tano gasps, but it’s General Kenobi’s reaction Rex is looking for. The man is weary and looks small tucked into his medbed, wearing the floral printed gown which makes everyone look far from frail than they truly are. 

General Kenobi’s caught by another lightning-tremor. His body tightens, and his face twists in pain. Skywalker rushes to his side even though there’s nothing he can do. Commander Tano looks from her grandmaster to her master and then searches the room for someone to reassure her. Normally, it would fall to Rex, but he’s still staring down General Kenobi, too absorbed in his own struggle to notice Tano’s. 

It takes a minute and an ice cube for General Kenobi to say, “Your service was commendable and indispensable. Your resignation is accepted.”

Cody isn’t sure his general even has the authority to do that, but his contemplation is cut short when pain blossoms in his face. A moment too late, he realizes Rex charged him and then punched him in the fucking face.

“Hey!”

There’s mass pandamonium for a moment. Cody staggers backward, pain pulsing in his nose. Something wet touches his fingers and-- _ fucking hell _ . Rex broke his nose which means blood and probably an impressive shiner or two later. 

Skywalker is shouting, Tano is panicking, Ghost is ready to fucking court martial Rex, and Cody’s still trying to get his bearings and is no help.

“Enough!” General Kenobi’s voice ripples through the room and everything stops. 

Rex rips himself free from Waxer and Boil and steps toward Cody, but no closer as if he knows the room would stop him. “I’m done taking orders. You’re lucky I didn’t give you another fucking scar. You froze me out! When you needed me the most, you banished me!”

This isn’t where Cody wanted to hash this out, but he doesn’t have a choice. He lowers his hands from his face. “I needed you,” Cody agrees. Rex’s expression doesn’t soften as if he knows Cody isn’t taking his side. “I needed you on  _ The Resolute _ .”

“I could’ve--”

“You could’ve what?” Cody demands, his own fury spiking, unleashed after weeks, hells,  _ years _ , of repression. “You could have died at my side if our plan didn’t work? You could have been another unnamed casualty of the Jedi insurrection? Or, maybe this is what you wanted, you could have been an identified traitor to the Republic. CT-7567, alongside CC-2224, and the rest of the company, our designations listed as a warning.”

Rex flinches but Cody isn’t done. 

“If things went south down there, your presence wouldn’t have helped anything.” Cody takes a minute satisfaction in Rex’s punched out noise, a pained gasp which maybe hurts as much as Cody’s fucking nose. “But up there?” Cody softens his tone now. “If the Sith lord slaughtered us, declared the Jedi the enemy of the Republic, and went through with his takeover of the galaxy, you were in command of a star destroyer with the hope and future of the galaxy.”

Rex looks away.

“All of the Jedi in the Temple were there with you, all of the de-chipped brothers. It wasn’t a lot but with you leading, it would be enough. You would find a way. I--” Cody’s getting choked up which is a bitch of a thing with a broken nose. “It wasn’t a punishment.”

“You fucking idiot!” Rex grabs him by the shoulders and shakes him. “You think I’d  _ want  _ to be alive when you weren’t? You think I’d  _ want  _ the burden of saving the fucking galaxy? You selfish fucking--” He touches their foreheads to one another, not as gently as he could have, but it’s still an offer of forgiveness, or perhaps acceptance.

“You would have hated it.” Cody’s voice is barely a whisper, but he knows the entire room can probably hear him. “You would have been pissed at me and deservedly so. But you would have survived. You’re strong enough to live on spite and fury and you would have made Sidious’s life hell.”

“Never again,” Rex says. “No more orders. No more sacrifice. We’re going to  _ live _ .”

Healer Che comes in to check on General Kenobi, and she throws her hands up when she spots Cody. “Do I want to know?”

“It’s handled,” General Kenobi says, because he’s protecting the brothers, even when he’s laid up. “But Cody should have a bed next to mine.”

“It’s a broken nose,” Cody says. 

“It can be more,” Rex threatens. 

This appears to be the last straw for the rest of Ghost Company. It’s Wooley who reaches Rex first, hauling him away from Cody. “You’re done here.” At his nod, Waxer and Boil strip Rex of his weapons. “Civilians don’t have clearance for military weaponry.”

“Stop,” Cody says, to both parties. “We will sort out what being a civilian brother means later. We…” He trails off. “Can we even be civilians?”

General Kenobi holds his hand out. “Someone give me a comm.”

“You’re supposed to be resting,” Healer Che scolds.

“Give me a comm, and I’ll evacuate most of the room.”

Healer Che hands him her personal comm which is a true testament to General Kenobi’s negotiating skills.

His general keeps a careful eye on the brothers as he makes his call. 

“You have reached the office of Senator Organa,” a familiar voice answers.

“Bail, I know it’s you,” General Kenobi says.

The Senator drops the act immediately. “This isn’t your comm. I assume all the hubbub means you were successful. What’s our next step?”

General Kenobi looks over the room. He has a minor tremor and looks exhausted after it passes, as if the war and the Sith and everything has finally caught up to him. “Anakin and Ahsoka are escorting Rex to your apartments. He is the first trooper to resign from the army in the wake of what’s happened.”

There’s a long pause, but they can hear some muffled shuffling. “I’ll get the team over here. I assume we’re ready to move out into the open?”

“Yes. Start mobilizing our allies. With Dooku and Sidious dead, the war will end. And we will pass this bill. Rex is a civilian now, Bail. He will need a place to stay.”  _ Like Obi-Wan did when he was adrift _ . 

“Of course. He is welcome with any of us. As are you. The clones aren’t the only ones who will need to determine what their life means without the war.”

“I am a Jedi,” General Kenobi says which means Bail was offering him a home if he left the Order. Cody’s chest squeezes tightly at the thought but if anyone deserves a break from this shit, it’s his general. “And when the war ends, the Jedi’s true work will begin. We were never supposed to be generals or warriors, Bail. We are peacekeepers, relief workers. We’re going to be in high demand.”

“Obi-Wan.” There’s a wealth of care and worry in Bail’s voice. 

General Kenobi seems uncomfortable with everyone in the room bearing witness to this. “We didn’t notice him right under our noses, Bail. He has been carefully and methodically dismantling the Republic. It will be a long road, setting it to rights.” He clears his throat. “Rex, Anakin, and Ahsoka are on their way.” He gives the three a pointed look. “There may be others as the news travels.”

“Our doors will be open to any who need a place to stay,” Bail promises. “May the Force be with you, Obi-Wan.”

“And you as well,” Obi-Wan says. He hands the comm back to Healer Che. “Thank you, Vokara. Anakin, Ahsoka, Rex, you should depart for Bail’s apartments once you’re ready. Ghost Company, thank you for your assistance this morning. All the medics of the 212th and 501st are running a full-scale de-chipping operation. If you would like to report to either  _ The Negotiator  _ or  _ The Resolute _ , I’m sure your brothers would appreciate seeing a friendly face when they come out of surgery.”

Just like that, the room empties until it’s only General Kenobi, Healer Che, and Cody. He allows himself to be ushered into the bed next to his general even though a broken nose hardly requires this kind of attention. Healer Che sets it for him which brings back a fresh wave of pain, but she offers him a smear of bacta which will hopefully keep his eyes from swelling up. 

“I want both of you to rest,” she says. “I’m going to make my rounds but call for me if the tremors get worse.”

“Of course,” General Kenobi says, missing how she directed the request to Cody. 

Once she leaves, the room seems empty and quiet. Cody stares at the ceiling and can’t quite believe they won. The Sith lord is dead, the Council is already preparing a massive recall in order to de-chip all the troopers, and their team of senators is going to push through the citizenship bill. There is  _ peace  _ on the horizon. 

And then he recalls the end of his general’s conversation with Bail. Even with the war over, his general won’t rest. “You don’t have to travel the road alone.”

General Kenobi turns to him, his eyes glassy with whatever pain meds Healer Che gave him. 

“Setting the galaxy to rights,” Cody explains. “I’m your second-in-command.”

“They will disband the army.”

“Then I’m your second.” Cody isn’t sure how much clearer he can state this. “We were bred for war, sir. It’s what we were raised to do, to fight and die, for our Jedi generals.”

Guilt pours off General Kenobi, his usual iron-tight control weakened. 

“But you showed us, or me at least, something different. What you talked about earlier; peacekeeping, relief work, if that’s what you’ll do when the war is over, I will do it with you. We were bred for war, but we’re capable of growth. Let me grow with you.”

“You are a far better,” General Kenobi swallows thickly, “second than I deserve.” 

Cody reaches his hand out to rest on General Kenobi’s arm. 

“It’s Obi-Wan,” he says. 

“Once the war is over,” Cody agrees. He feels light, floaty which at first he thought was the adrenaline crash but now, as a pleasant numbness eases the pain from his face, he realizes is something different. “Are you siphoning your drugs into my IV, sir?”

“I have no idea what you’re talking about,” he says.

Cody thinks about protesting, he has a broken nose and his general is suffering the aftershocks of Sith torture but, as he learned throughout his time at General Kenobi’s side, this is how the man is. Generous, selfless, offering what he needs to those who only have a want. 

He lightly squeezes General Kenobi’s arm, calling him out on the lie, but also thanking him. He’s looking forward to the end of the war, especially now that he’s sure he’ll see the end of it. Instead of destroying, he’ll have a chance to build. Instead of losing brothers, he’ll find them - new homes, new lives, new futures. 

He’s sure some things will stay the same. His general - Obi-Wan, then - will overexert himself. He’ll need a minder to make sure he eats instead of giving his rations away and to make sure he sleeps instead of staying up just one more hour in order to help those around him. 

General Kenobi scoffs quietly, fading quickly as the stress of the day catches up to him. “As if you are any better.”

“We’ll look out for each other,” Cody promises.

“Indeed, we shall.”

Finally, his general’s eyes fall closed and his breathing evens out as he gives in to the sleep he so desperately needs. Cody fixes their IVs so his general is getting his correct dose of medication. Cody’s still floaty, but he isn’t willing to sleep, not yet, not until he’s fully convinced the danger has passed.

He stays in bed, his hand on his general’s arm and counts the time between tremors. They grow farther apart and diminish in intensity. He reports this to Healer Che when she stops in their room again. She checks their vitals and smiles a little at whatever Cody’s chart shows. 

“I fixed it,” Cody tells her, because he can probably tell he’s still riding a bit of a high.

“I know you did.” She smooths her hand over his forehead. Her palm is cool and it stirs memories buried deep in his head of Kamino, the first time they were ever sick. Someone did this for him then. A cool touch to his forehead, a gentle smile. “Rest now, Cody. I’ll watch over you and Obi-Wan.”

He hesitates, but she draws up a chair, a promise she is going to stay. He finally relaxes enough to give into sleep. 


End file.
